A Demon's Mate
by TheMaskedCat
Summary: Back by popular demand! An evening that should have ended with friends, instead ends at the Phantomhive manor staring at it's famous butler. Or would that be infamous?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Aw Hell, I'm just putting it back up. I have made some changes though. The first chapter was really bugging me the further along I went in the story. Evidently, it also bugged other people. There is a nifty feature on here where I can actually see how many have looked at each chapter and there were quite a few that never got past the first chapter. **For the newcomers** , it gets better further in. I promise.

For those that have read before, I know I promised a sequel and I do have it started. I had started writing it into the Fallen University series, then realized that no, I had some elements but it wasn't the story that I wanted to tell. I will be doing a sequel that will follow Serena and Sebastian, Ciel and Lucien and Edwin and Undertaker. As well as looking at how everyone handled the ending back in Victorian England. It's strange how the characters will take over your stuff.

I make no update promises, as I'm hoping to edit as I go. I am currently working full-time, writing the second book of the Fallen University Series and the first book of the White Rabbit Chronicles. Which should be out by the end of the August. I'm entering Tangled Mirror in a writing contest that has to be submitted on September first. Let's hear it for deadlines making you finish something!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any or it's characters. I only claim Serena, Asta and the demons and descendants that I introduce. Fair warning though, I did use some of the world building and a couple of the OCs in the Fallen University Series, which is copyrighted.

Chapter One

The demon currently known as Sebastian busied himself around the manor as the rest of the house slept. There was no end to the list of tasks to be completed when one was working with servants such as this house employed. They weren't really necessary, so their ineptitude could be overlooked in most cases. He just needed them for extra firepower and keeping up appearances.

Lady Francis had mentioned how strange it was that he took care of the master and the house all by himself, cooked the meals and ran all the errands. The next day Sebastian had started looking for hired help.

He'd have to look for something else as well. Evidently, Lady Elizabeth didn't like that Sebastian was single. She had started during an unscheduled visit this afternoon. Not that she made any other kind of visit to the manor. Both she and his master were getting older, her friends were pairing off and Lady Elizabeth was already thinking of her own wedding. Not that it could be done this Season. Lord Phantomhive was only fifteen this year.

Lady Elizabeth thought it unusual that the Butler had no wife. After all, his wife would run the maids while he looked after the master and other business. It would help him, take some of the load off. Of course, if he waited until Lady Elizabeth took her place here at the manor Paula would make an excellent wife for him.

The conversation had almost been worth seeing the lady's maid turn fire red at the thought and stutter. Poor Paula had almost dropped the Lady's teacup and saucer.

He knew his human form was appealing. That was part of the point of it. People were so agreeable to the good-looking. His demon form would send them scream, even though he thought it had it's own dark appeal. To those willing to not run screaming. Even in the age of reason, superstition still had a stranglehold on most. Most were utter nonsense, but some still read true.

All Hallows Eve. Grim Reapers. Demons. Angels. Scientific thought taking over some minds were making it so much easier to move in the human world. So much easier to do business. Of course, it also made it harder to blend in at the same time. Once upon a time, it would not have been so hard to manipulate the humans. Now, they were more likely to see something suspicious. In the old days, they would have brought the church, blessed the house and been on their way. Now, they wanted to talk. To do tests on anything that didn't fit their beliefs of the world around them.

Lady Elizabeth's concerns would have to be addressed. He could easily find a human, another perk of an appealing form, as well as his position in the noble house. He could start screening immediately as a matter of fact, like a job opening. Maybe Mei-Rin would get her head out of the clouds that way?

Or he could simply call one of the demons of his house. That would make it easier on him. With a human wife, he would have to keep up the façade permentently, without even the sanctuary of his rooms. Not that he ever dropped the human face while in their world, but he would have to watch himself closer in private, to not give anything away. She also have to able to work around this lot and the constant danger that came with the House of Phantomhive.

One of his own demons would be a better option. Corrine was always a pleasant diversion that would make time on this plane more enjoyable. Especially since his current master had no interest in Sebastian's 'other' skills. Such a pity too. Ciel Phantomhive was certainly beautiful. The human actually had the beauty of a demon in his own frail, human body. And he was so much fun to needle. Seeing the hints of the deep wells of wrath housed within that soul was always a delicious pleasure.

Oh well, back to Corrine. Of course, she did come equipped with an attitude that would make being a servant difficult. Some days he thought she should have fed on Pride instead of Greed. No, she would cause problems with Lady Elizabeth which would endanger the whole endeavor. Perhaps Khepri, she could handle deference. But no, even with the current fascination with Egypt, Khepri's looks would bring unneeded attention. If only there were more female demons. For some reason, women only woke again about a third that men did. Something to ponder at another time and a mental note to check the Pits again when he returned home. He would need to make sure that this little problem didn't happen again. He was used to working alone, but there were others that brought members of their House when they took a contract.

He could ask his old mentor. Haagenti's house did have a couple females as well. But that would mean having to trade or make some kind of deal. Deals between demons normally took forever to work out. They were so good at coming out on the winning end negotiations were a bit brutal and time consuming.

Which left him back with the human option. The only option for a quick solution. He had a feeling Lady Elizabeth was perfectly serious about Paula. She was a pleasant enough woman, and he had a feeling she would be enjoyable in their bedroom, but she had the familiar mindset of one that clung to the old superstitions. She'd notice something and bring the wrath of Lady Francis down on them all. No, better to have this out of the way before that became a possibility.

So many problems. Why did everything at the Phantomhive manor have to be complicated? At least Ciel Phantomhive's soul would be wonderful compensation in the end. It was rare to find a pure soul that still wanted to make a deal. So rare to find one pushed to their limits, or at least what they thought their limits were.

Perhaps he had not come of this deal as well as he originally thought. His master had needed him, knew that he couldn't survive on his own. Sebastian would get an unparalleled soul, in terms of power and taste, but the complications and injuries he constantly moved through were starting to wear on even him.

Human it is. One that had a soul he could sip from on a daily basis. Yes, that would be wonderful.

********************************A Demon's Mate****************************

Present Day

Serena Walton checked the mirror on the back of the apartment door to make sure that her pretty, black dress was laying perfectly. All she needed was to walk out onto the street with her skirt hanging in her underwear. Most girls would advise her not to wear undies at all with this dress, but that was so not going to happen. Her red hair was set in a lovely French braid that left some little tendrils to frame her face. A little bit of silver jewelry and a touch of perfume and she was ready to grab her bag before heading out the door.

She only had a couple weeks left in Tokyo on her student Visa before being whisked back to the US and her roommate, as well as fellow artist, had gotten tickets to see the newest Kuroshitsuji musical. Tickets that were almost impossible to get. It was a little embarrassing that Serena's favorite little obsession had become well-known to Akiko and her friends. Then again, they all seemed to be excited about the show, or maybe it was just a night out. They were all more into the nightlife scene than her. Serena would rather have been working on her final piece before leaving Tokyo and all it's wonders behind.

Not that she had even started a final piece. Something was going on with her submissions lately, too close to her roommate's pieces and Serena often was left scrambling to complete another piece to turn in before deadline. At least the school officials understood that she and Akiko shared an apartment and talked often of their shared love, so they hadn't accused her of cheating. Barely. Her final piece was a request, not really an assignment. Her current advisor wanted to see something that showed what she had learned during her short months here.

Serena had no clue what she was going to do, but was leaning toward an ink painting. The clean line and few brushstrokes were intriguing to someone who focused mostly on detail and depth.

A group of school boys in high school uniforms, pulled her out of her thoughts with a whistle as they passed. She rolled her green eyes but still laughed. Nothing was going to ruin tonight. The June air was warm, the sunset was beautiful and she was out of the studio for the night.

She could have gone to Italy, walked the ancient streets of Rome. She could have gone to England, touring the homes of masters. But something about Tokyo had called her when the options for study abroad had come up. Seeing the ancient temple to her right that looked over the modern streets, she knew that she had made a good decision. Being here had gotten her fired up, creatively speaking, and she had learned techniques that she would never have found among the homes and lands of the Old Masters.

No, this was the right choice.

**************************A Demon's Mate*************************

Ciel was quiet as his butler slid the deep blue coat that matched the rest of his suit over his shoulders. He was almost as tall as the demon now. A far cry from the child that had held the demon's coattails to stop him from leaving before their deal was made. Gloves were smoothed over his long fingers, now always clean, before his family rings were presented.

Yesterday was still bothering him. His blonde tornado of a fiancée had made another appearance, ripping through his plans and schedule as she always did. One of her inane friends was getting married in a few weeks and she had wanted to see him. Really, she wanted to be sure that she would have an escort other than her brother for the occasion.

He was too busy for this.

Not that Lizzy ever seemed to notice that fact. Couldn't she understand that they weren't children anymore? It wasn't just tutors to cut away from now, he had to reschedule business appointments, leave paperwork unread and unsigned until he could get her out the door. At least many of his business contacts were married and understood having to placate a woman.

He'd never have any peace when she moved in. An evil smirk reminded him that Sebastian wouldn't either. Lizzy had found her next crusade. But there was still something about the whole conversation that bothered him. The way the demon had so easily agreed with her, the way he had so elegantly accepted Lizzy's suggestions was all wrong. He wondered if the demon had told the truth when asked if he was married.

Only one way to find out. He had long ago ordered Sebastian never to lie to him. He just had to ask the right question. It was a lesson he had learned well over the last five years.

"Sebastian."

"Yes, Master."

"Are you married?"

The demon smirked as he did up the coat's buttons. "I believe that I already answered this question."

"What is the demon equivalent of a wife?"

"Ah." Sebastian smiled as he went to retrieve the walking stick that was studded with blue stones at it's top. "You would be referring to a mate then."

"Yes. Do you have one?"

"Again, the answer is no. Why the sudden interest, Master?"

Ciel refused to cower at the look the demon shot him. "Lizzy brought it up."

"Yes, she is rather focused on your upcoming nuptials despite the years she still has yet to wait."

"If it happens at all." He pulled his gloves a little tighter.

"Are you planning on marrying someone else?"

Ciel's eye narrowed. "You know very well what I'm talking about. When my revenge is achieved, you will take my soul. Lizzy is planning a wedding that very well may never happen."

"Are you in a hurry to die, Master?"

"No," he snapped. "I'm not going to live in some fantasy world that my life will be long."

"The Phantomhive line will die with you if you do not marry and sire children," Sebastian said, more to himself than anything. "That seems a shame."

Ciel was annoyed and had a feeling the demon knew it. There was a levity around him that only occurred when he knew Ciel was losing his temper.

"Why don't we add a little to our deal."

"What?"

The demon's eyes glowed for a split second, giving a glimpse of the being lurking beneath the pretty and polished surface.

"I have a new offer. If your revenge is achieved in the next couple of years, I will still wait until after your marriage and the birth of your heir to take your soul."

Ciel watched him carefully. "Why?"

"You are one of the most amusing masters I have ever had and there have been quite a few over the years."

"You enjoy being my butler?" He drawled in disbelief.

"Some of it. You are a brat and the manor could use servants that actually know what they are doing." Sebastian waved off the impending eruption he could see coming. "However, life here is never dull. As an almost immortal being with eternity before him, boredom is a constant nuisance. It is rarely, if ever boring around you, Master."

"If that's the case, then you should be offering to wait until my life is about to end naturally."

"There's no need to be greedy." The demon growled low. "Everything in moderation is a good way to live."

Ciel suppressed a shudder and turned away. "I'll consider your offer."

"Very well. I will await you in the breakfast room."

Truth, he was already wanted to accept the offer as the door closed behind the demon. But, there had to be some kind of catch. Years of being around the demon, being raised and taught by a demon, he had learned to deal.

Sebastian's offer afforded him some amount of stability. He would know when his life was going to end. His line would go on, something that the previous Earl's murderers had been trying to stop. Lizzy would still get her wedding and Aunt Francis would make sure that his heir knew what he needed to know to be the next Earl of the Realm and Guard Dog of the Queen.

But what did that demon really want out of this? Boredom was a hatred of his own, not that he often had time to indulge in it. But Undertaker had said something about Sebastian must be starving by now the last time they had seen him. Why would he voluntarily wait longer to feed?

He needed to think about this further.

****************************A Demon's Mate*****************************

Serena checked her directions before sliding the piece of paper into the little bag over her shoulder. She was always getting lost, but the theater should be straight ahead. If Akiko's directions were right. Her roommate wasn't much better at giving directions than Serena was at following them. The Japanese girl took for granted that everyone knew which streets and subways she was talking about.

Ahead, she spotted a marquee but she was better at speaking Japanese than reading it. The kanji for Kuroshitsuji she recognized though. She had made it. Yah, for both of them. The front of the theater was still only being used by passing pedestrians. Serena reached to check the time on her phone, still stowed in her purse and smiled at the poster advertising the show next to her.

Serena heard rolling wheels, like some kind of cart before she was knocked over. She expected to feel jar of bricks and mortar that made the old English-style building but there was nothing.

She just kept falling.

******************************A Demon's Mate***************************

"Have you thought about my offer?"

Ciel looked down at the demon buttoning his nightshirt. "Yes. But I have a question first."

"Very well." Sebastian stood and pulled the blankets down from the large bed his master occupied at night.

"How long did you plan on our arrangement lasting?"

"I see your point." He took a moment to remove the warming pan from the bed. "As a demon that focuses on revenge, I have learned not to make plans during a contract. I have been a part deals that lasted only days to some masters that I stayed with for decades."

That wasn't the answer he was expecting. Ciel stayed quiet as he slid between the warm sheets.

"Alright. I accept."

"Good." The demon's eyes glowed as he removed his glove with his teeth, the mark on the back of his hand glowing in the dimly-lit room. "Our mark with change with our new terms."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I'm so glad that everyone is liking the new beginning. For those that haven't read it before, it's much better now…trust me. I don't plan to redo all of it, the beginning was just bugging the crap out me and there are a couple other places as well that I'm going to change a little. The core story isn't going to change though, I'm just aiming to make it flow better.

This chapter is brought to you today because Tangled Mirror is finished and is now available through Amazon under the J. Saire name. Woohoo! Happy Dance! The sequel to Winter's Eve will hopefully be done within the next month. I still haven't decided what to name it yet…and I'm finishing edits at this time.

I want to thank everyone who reviewed. The love of this story is all coming back to me now. And to those that pointed out mistakes…Damn, I thought I was doing better this time. I see I still need to spend more time with the editing hat on, and thank you. I'll go back and fix later.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena as well as the descendants and demons that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Two

Bardroy, better known as Bard although he never could get that uppity butler to understand that, enjoyed the delicious nicotine flooding his system as he stood in the winter sunlight. Sebastian would absolutely not let him smoke in the house, even the servant's rooms. Seeing the young master's reaction to a small cold last year, he could understand the ruling now.

That was a tense few days. The young master's lungs were weak and he was sensitive to anything in the air, and any illness always settled in his lungs. For those five days, the servants had all ended up camped out in the hallway outside the Earl's door. Just in case they were needed.

His breath puffed in a scoff. They were never needed. Of course not. Sebastian sailed easily through caring for their young master as he did everything else around the place. The damned butler hadn't ever had a stitch out of place, although he must have slept standing up the whole time. He had been completely unruffled, looking down on the rest of them yet again.

It was like he wasn't human.

The thought struck a cord. If Bard hadn't seen Sebastian bleed from an injury when the manor was attacked some time ago, he would believe the man was a machine. Maybe one of the automata that the nobles seemed to like so much.

He just thought they were creepy.

Thankfully, the young master seemed to agree with him. A gift from another noble, looking to get in on the Funtom Company, had been an automaton of a young woman that sat under a tree reading while a bird sang in the branches behind her. Every once in a while she would look up at the bird and smile before turning the page of her book. The Earl had accepted the gift graciously of course, but it had disappeared shortly after.

If he remembered from when he first came to the manor right, it resembled the portrait of the previous countess. The portrait had also disappeared, eventually. Not that he could fault the Earl. His parents had been murdered in his home. As a child, although he never really seemed like a child, the young master had left up the pictures of his parents. As he grew, the painful reminders went away.

How long had he been here? The young master had only been eleven when Sebastian had pulled Bard out of a foxhole surrounded by the rest of his dead squad. The stupid general wouldn't listen that it had been a trap, too trumped up by his own importance to see the death hanging over all of them. He still didn't know why he survived. Sometimes, he wondered if he was even happy that he had.

But had he not, he wouldn't be here. Bard looked at the great house. He was more at home here, surrounded by the others, than he had been on his family's farm or even amongst his fellow soldiers. Even so, he still wasn't sure of his function.

Look at them all right now. The young master had been called to London a few days ago for some kind of audience with the queen. Many may look at the higher orders with envy but Bard sure never felt that way about the Earl. The boy was working himself into an early grave and had been the entire six years that Bard had known Lord Ciel Phantomhive.

At least there wouldn't be anymore 'interviews' until they returned. He could use a break from Mei-Rin's complaining. And she did, every time a new woman appeared at the servant's door to be seen. At first, they thought the young master was hiring more staff since his fiancée appeared to be wanting to spend more time at the manor. Maybe he was even thinking about entertaining? But, no. It was Sebastian…interviewing for a wife.

Interviewing a wife. What was that butler thinking? Maybe it was fitting for the cold being that was Lord Phantomhive's shadow, but Bard still didn't think it was right. It shouldn't be such an icy process. Right?

He didn't even know what Sebastian was looking for. There had already been five women met and sent on their way again. The rest of the servants here interacted with the village just down from the manor, they would be more likely to know someone that could possibly fill Sebastian's expectations, if he told them what they were.

Maybe he was looking for someone just as perfect as him? Good luck with that, buddy. He had never met anyone like Sebastian, male or female. Maybe that was the point. They needed to look for the opposite.

Couldn't hurt, they had nothing else to do anyway. Sebastian had already done everything before he and the young master left. Meals had been made ready for those left behind and stored in the manor's icebox, the house was sparkling and the snow stopped any outside work other than clearing the walks and drive. Which they had already done twice today.

Why were they even here? They all collected pay, but for what? They were paid by the estate to break things, really.

He flicked the finished cigarette into the empty urn Sebastian had filled with sand and placed next to the door. Bard took a deep breath and thought about lighting another one. What else was there to do?

The distinct ring of a bell in the kitchen stopped his hand from reaching into his pocket. The alarm for the west side of the property was going off. The servant's door to the kitchen popped open and Finny was out, ready to go. Behind the younger man, Bard saw Mei-Rin headed for the rooftop and the small arsenal hidden there. Snake and his pets were confined to the house after the snow came. And wasn't that a shame? As Bard ran past the greenhouse to the other side of the manor, he saw Snake looking out. Maybe there was some way to put firepots or something out here so that they could be useful too.

This was why they were here. Sebastian protected the Master, they protected his home. After all, the Earl had already lost it once too.

******************************A Demon's Mate*****************************

Serena stumbled through the trees that shouldn't have been there. She must have fallen through some street-level window she hadn't notice into a prop room or something. Too bad the trees felt real whenever she fell against one. The dead leaves and snow under her feet smelled like dead leaves and snow. She was freezing.

She had never felt the brick of the building behind her, but she must have hit her head. Her eyes weren't focusing on anything and her limbs weren't listening to her. For a strange second, the red head wondered if she looked like a new foal learning to walk.

She certainly felt like it.

Something was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. It was July in Tokyo and the dress should have been a little warm with its three-quarter sleeves. There was no forest in the area of the theater, she shouldn't be pushing through dead leaves in her heeled sandals.

Just keep moving. Serena figured that something would eventually make sense if she kept moving. Moving would also stop her from freezing. She reminded herself that every time the pain her head urged her to stop for a minute and rest. Freezing to death wasn't very appealing.

The world spun sideways in an instant and Serena grabbed onto the tree she fell against until things settled down again. Maybe there had been an earthquake and some refrigerant or something was leaking into the air. Yeah, still didn't explain the rest of it.

She heard something moving nearby, crunching through the leaves and frozen ground. She turned toward the sound, but her eyes still wouldn't focus. Like there was some kind of film over them. All she could see were confusing blurs of color. Bright, daytime color dappled the area around her. The sun was setting when she had gotten to the theater.

The sound came again, a little closer. Serena pressed her back against the tree.

"Who's there?"

Bard stopped behind one of the trees and watched the woman. She looked ill, holding her head and stumbling through the Earl's forest on unsteady legs. Legs he could see. He knew that there was a blush on his face, felt the burn and was glad that he had told Finny to wait while he scoped out the situation. He knew that he was staring. Only Lau's 'sister' showed so much skin. He supposed the rest of her was covered, but the black fabric didn't really leave anything to the imagination.

He needed to get closer. His gut said the girl wasn't a threat. Where would she even hide a weapon in that getup? His gut said the girl was sick, perhaps injured and in danger of freezing to death. Maybe she had been attacked and then dropped somewhere nearby.

Weren't the young master and Sebastian always going on about the Phantomhive hospitality or some nonsense?

The Earl wasn't even home. If she was a threat, it could be taken care of before he returned. They would just all be on high-alert until a decision was made. Either way. A woman left to wander in such clothing wouldn't be missed.

Decision made, Bard stepped out from his hiding place and made some noise to alert her to his presence.

"Who's there?"

Bard stopped as the girl, she wasn't much older than the master, shoved up against the tree she was holding. So nothing could come at her from behind. Her eyes were unfocused as she looked around and he could hear the fear in her voice even as she tried to sound calm.

Or she was the greatest actress of all time, his soldier's suspicion reminded him.

But no actor could make their pupils so retracted on command. Bard had seen the same thing when he was in the army…from men that had been blinded by cannon fire. There had been nothing like that around here. They would have heard battle sounds. Maybe the girl was blind normally, and was lost without a keeper.

She pushed away from the tree, trying to stand on her own. Bard waited as she took a couple steps. If she was going to attack him, it was better to know now before he took her to the house. The girl tripped, leaves and snow parting to show the branch previously hidden. He heard her whine a little as she tried to stand again. Sick, he was sure of it.

"Shh."

The girl flinched and tried to scramble back. Bard had a flashback to his old comrades who had done the same thing, not sure if the voice around them was friend or enemy.

"It's alright," he said in the same soft tone the medics had used. "I'll help you."

He saw her breathing speed up in the cold air and recognized the symptom. Should she trust him? Should she try to get away again?

Bard slipped off his coat, sure that part of her shivering was cold. Besides, it could be seen as a peace offering.

"Here."

The red head batted out as the white fabric came toward her and he let it go immediately. She looked confused, feeling the coat to know what it was.

"Let me help you," he said as he pulled the coat from her tight fingers and slipped it over her shoulders.

She still looked around wildly, trying to focus on anything. Not normally blind then. Bard pulled gently, helping the girl to her feet. "Come with me. The house isn't far away and we can get you warmed up."

"Where…" She took two steps and collapsed.

"What do we do now?"

Bard looked up from pulling the blankets over the strange girl. He didn't have an answer for her. He knew that the girl needed help, but they knew nothing about her at the same time. Should they call for a doctor? But what if she was a threat? They couldn't do anything with a doctor here.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of horses and wheels on the drive.

"Oh, no." Finny dropped the logs that he was carrying in for the fireplace and ran to the window. "It's the young master. They're back."

Bard stood and followed the others to the window.

"No, this is great." He was out the door before any of the others.

He didn't have to think about it anymore.

**********************************A Demon's Mate******************************

Sebastian opened the door to usher his current master into his home and heard the sigh of relief from the human. Even so close to adulthood, London didn't hold much wonder for his master. At least the Prince and Agni were away, not that it had made the Earl any more comfortable.

It wasn't quite right. He had always thought that his master would be more comfortable in the city. He was a bachelor, for the time being anyway. Of course, his master wasn't a fan of gatherings but there were many things to occupy one's time in town. From what he understood of humans, his master's aversion to being adored by the ladies who thought they might have a chance at the Countess's cornet was not normal. The other masters that he had bargained with had loved lording their power over others.

It probably had to do with his master's soul. Such a delicious soul.

He was taking the Earl's coat and noticed how much the young man had grown. His master was not much shorter than himself now.

"Sebastian!"

The demon sighed at seeing the three morons running down the stairs. And it had been such a nice morning.

"What is going on here?" The Earl yelled as the three rushed past him to latch onto Sebastian's legs.

"There's a woman here, Master."

"Lizzy's here again?"

Sebastian found himself slightly upset at the hunted look that came over his master. He never looked that way when dealing with his demon.

Perhaps he should do something about that?

"No, sire. There was a girl wandering through the woods."

And they just brought her in? Sebastian could feel the burn of rage start, just beneath the surface.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I figured I could put this up since it was mostly already written. On another note, I actually did something with my profile. Yah me! I've only had it empty for like four years. About time I got around to it.

Disclaimer: I do not Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

Chapter Three

"She just appeared in the woods?" Ciel Phantomhive pinched the bridge of his nose and tried not to stare at the girl on the bed.

She didn't look to be much older than Lizzy, but Lizzy would never wear that. The black dress was skin tight and short. Red hair fell in tangled waves around her face, completely unbound. Strange, round earrings were tangled with her hair and a necklace hung around her throat.

"Yes, sir."

Sebastian leaned over and looked at the necklace. At first it appeared to be an encircled cross, but on closer inspection, it was actually a compass. A diamond was nestled in the very center and words were engraved in the silver.

"'All who wander are not lost.'* Interesting thought."

"Honestly, why do these things always happen here?" The Earl shook his head.

"Perhaps you are just lucky, Master."

Ciel glared at the demon and turned away from the bed. "We can decide nothing until she wakens. She is not a spy in such conspicuous clothing. She cannot be an assassin either as she had no weapons. For now, we will wait."

**********************************A Demon's Mate*******************************

Sebastian was making his final rounds through the mansion as the rest of the house settled down to sleep when his mind drifted back to the girl upstairs. The strange female had been on the Earl's mind as well. Before going to sleep, he had ordered the demon to investigate her as soon as she woke.

"Speaking of which..." he caught a sound from the upper floor. The panic he felt obviously coming from her rather than the other house members.

The demon took the stairs in a blink of an eye and flashed down the hall. He knocked on the door and heard a gasp. Scrambling prompted him to open the door without an answer.

The girl was backed into the farthest corner from the door. In her hand, she wielded the silver candelabra from the bedside table.

"Who are you?" She tried to back further into the corner. "Where is this place?"

"My lady, please calm yourself." He bowed. "You are currently in the home of the Earl of Phantomhive. I am the butler, Sebastian."

"Hold on a minute." She held up a hand. "I must have a concussion from the fall. What did you say?"

"You are in the Phantomhive manor."

The redhead shook her head. "No, I'm currently lying on the sidewalk where I got run over and this is all a figment of my imagination."

"I'm sorry to tell you that is not. Now, if you please calm down. The rest of the house is asleep." Sebastian started to come forward and dodged a candle coming at his head.

"I think that you should stay over there while I think about this." She pointed another projectile at him. "I don't trust my imagination."

"I believe that you are over-reacting, miss." The demon walked forward, dodging all the candles she threw at him.

"Well, I believe I need a psych eval and zanax!" She raised the large piece of silver to swing but the man caught it easily.

Sebastian grabbed the redhead around the waist, tossing the candelabra to the bed. She started to fight back and he took her wrists in a hand.

"Yeah, yeah. I forgot the demon reflexes."

In shock, Sebastian loosened his grip for a moment. The girl threw her head back into his face and elbowed him in the stomach. The instant that she felt the grip around her waist loosen, she jumped on the bed and over to the other side, grabbing the candelabra again on her way.

"How do you know that?" The demon decided to give her space, figuring she would talk.

She looked him over confused before starting to wail. "This isn't happening! People do not get pulled into a fictional story."

Sebastian put up a hand to stop her. "Let's just stop for a moment."

She was still on edge, but seemed willing to lower the heavy silver slightly.

"I would like you to explain how you know about me. So, we will start over." He took a step back. "May I know your name?"

"Serena." She lowered the candelabra further. "Serena Walton."

He smiled, deciding on flirting. "That's a beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

The silver dropped slightly as she stared at him."Really? You're going to move to the pointless flattery now?"

His head cocked to the side. "Fine."

The demon's eyes began to glow red and feathers fell around his body. She raised the candelabra again and the feathers started to fly toward her.

"Are you not going to scream?"

"Would it do me any good?"

"No."

He vaulted over the bed in a move a human could never accomplish. The demon's hand reached for her throat. Serena closed her eyes, expecting to die.

Suddenly, Sebastian was pushed back. He looked up from where he landed and found himself across the room. The red head opened her eyes confused.

"Okaaaay."

He ran at her again and Serena winced, holding the silver in front of her. She looked up when she felt nothing tear into her flesh. The demon stood slowly from the other side of the room again. His eyes were wide with shock as he looked at her.

Serena looked around and saw a purple mist that surrounded her body. Several black feathers floated around her. When she touched one of the feathers, it was warm. Sebastian walked forward slowly, his own hand out and awe on his face.

 _'My own power is protecting her!'_ He touched the mist and felt a shock. _'I can't believe this. Why now? And with the most troublesome of masters.'_

He continued to watch the small red head as she ran her hands through the mist, picking up more of the feathers.

 _'After all these centuries, I finally found my mate.'_ He stepped into the mist and she raised the silver again, holding it like some kind of club. Barbaric. Small sparks erupted around him as a small warning. _'And a most disagreeable one at that.'_

*This quote is from J.R.R. Tolkien .


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I'm thinking of setting up my own website, but really have no idea how to do it. I mean, I don't even have a twitter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

Chapter Four

Sebastian sat at the girl's bedside, wondering what to do now. Finally realizing that he wasn't going to get her to calm down, he had simply raised his power level until she passed out again. The red head was much easier to deal with when she slept. He needed a plan.

First thing in the morning, he would call the agency and tell them not to send anymore candidates. At least that problem was worked out. But, did he really want to keep her here until this business was finished? Most demons took their mates to their home as soon as the chains were linked. But, could he leave his master vulnerable for that amount of time? Perhaps he could have another come and watch the human while he tended to his mate?

No. He had been worn down by this contract and couldn't afford to expend the energy. Not mention his current master's propensity to draw fatal notice from others. It would also put him right back into his problem with Lady Elizabeth.

Such a blessing for a demon and she was such a problem right now. It had been centuries since he had waited for a mate. The one soul that was created to compliment and command him.

 _'Romantic in theory, but rather uncomfortable in reality.'_

It had started with the Fallen. No one knew why, but Sebastian had watched as one by one, the proud angels had met men and women that seemed to tame them. Then slowly as if by a trickle, the demons that had once been human started to bring mates back from the human world as well.

He hadn't even considered a mate for himself until his own mentor had returned from a contract, a blond human man in tow.

It wasn't long after that his mentor had decided that Sebastian had grown too powerful to continue to be a member of his "family." When he had gained his own black-feathered wings. Since the beginning, elder demons had taken younger under their wing to train them. In times when religion was more prevalent, demons needed training to protect themselves from demon hunters and the church. They slowly developed into families that banded together for strength and companionship.

Should a member of the family grow to a power level that seemed to threaten the family head, they were pushed out. The younger did have the option to stay and try to fight for the leadership position, but were rarely successful.

The younger demons never stood a chance against the tricks of the Elders. They always kept some technique or power hidden away for just such an occasion.

Sebastian himself had been pushed out of his original family many years before, but stayed in the same area of hell. Thankfully, he had understood that power wasn't everything in battle and had left easily and on good terms with his mentor. The ancient demon was a powerful ally that he was happy to still have if he needed. Wars in hell were rare, but did happen.

 _'You've grown too powerful, boy. There is nothing more for me to teach you, it's time for you to form your own family.'_

He still remembered the alien emotion of fear at the time. Being on his own was a completely new experience and one that he wasn't happy with.

The demon's first destination after leaving his mentor's tower had been the pit fights. Most new demons ended up there looking for a mentor. Next to the area that most humans imagine hell as, the pit was a nightmare, too horrible to describe. Young demons would fight, to prove their strength and skill to the Elders and hoped to be accepted into a family and escape.

Lucien was the first that he had seen. He could see the sin that attracted the fairly new demon, even Lucien didn't recognize it himself. The blonde was drawn to lust, one of dozens of others and physically weaker than those around him. However, he was smart. He won the fight by using his brain and waiting for a perfect moment to strike. He was beautiful, but that didn't mean much to demons. More importantly, the much younger demon was more than willing to follow orders and give utter loyalty to the being that gave him a way out of the hellish fighting.

It was Lucien that got him thinking about mates again a couple hundred years ago. The blonde had called for him after going to the human world to feed and pointed out the pretty, shy young woman that had caught his attention. The daughter of a farmer, Emily was not what Sebastian had been expecting. Lucien was normally drawn to the elegant and refined for a meal. Instead, he had been in a panic, not sure why he couldn't let the brunette out of his sight.

At least she had been easy to get away from her family. Emily was to be the family's sacrifice to save the rest of them from starvation. A merchant, over twice her age, had made an offer that her father couldn't turn down. Not and keep the rest of his family alive. Emily family had two brothers, three sisters and no means to give them a start. They could keep a roof over the young ones' head but little else.

They had to take whatever came their way.

With his Elder's help, Lucien had easily eclipsed the merchant's offer and taken Emily back to their home.

After that, Sebastian had started to make changes to the tower he and his first family members had built. The changes made Emily more comfortable in what had been a 'bachelor' home, but the true reason had been because he was making his home comfortable for his own mate when he found him or her. As a demon, the question of gender did not matter to him. Demons did not procreate so man or woman didn't mean anything to them. But, all the mates that demons had found had been human. The changes he had enacted made the tower more suitable to a human's presence.

He hoped that Serena would be more agreeable when she woke up again. Emily still wasn't the strongest personality and he would like to keep Lucien. However, a mate's wishes came first. If Emily wasn't comfortable around Serena, Lucien would look for another home.

Edwin had been the second demon he gathered close. He had approached him after asking the only demon in the pit that Lucien would want on his side in a fight. The blond had pointed to a brunette not far away. The other was Lucien's exact opposite. Definitely a warrior in his human life, the male was muscled and rugged where Lucien was more lithe and delicate. Edwin had been another that used his brain in battle, but his was born of pure experience. He discovered that in his human life, Edwin had been a battalion commander for a long dead empire and looked at everything in terms of battle strategy. He had been a valuable asset indeed.

Sebastian laughed at the memory of introducing the first members of his house to his former Elder. Haagenti had tried to Edwin to come to his house instead. Surely he wanted a more experienced Elder to train him to survive.

Lucien had dropped back, preparing for a fight. However, Sebastian knew that it was a compliment. As a lifelong soldier, Edwin had known as well and thanked the Elder for his offer before politely declining. His loyalty would always be to the one that pulled him from the pits.

The two of them had stayed with him for centuries, through battles with other houses, through underlings that tried to betray, and through contract after contract. In exchange, the Elder had taught them to survive, had given them shelter from the harsh reality of hell and changing times in the human world.

His musing stopped when the figure on the bed started to move. When Serena saw him she sat up quickly. Too quickly evidently, as she put a hand to her hand and squeezed her eyes shut. After a moment, she looked back over.

"So, you're still here. I'm obviously not imagining this." The red head sighed heavily. "Damn."

"I would still like to you explain how you know that I am a demon." Sebastian kept his voice low so as not to repeat their earlier episode.

"I have a feeling that you're going to think my explanation is a little crazy."

"As opposed to your earlier behavior?" He raised an eyebrow at her glare.

"What would you have done, waking up in a strange place, someone telling you that you're not anywhere near the place that you passed out and you know that the being you're talking to isn't human?"

"Point taken."

Serena rubbed her temples and started to speak several times before anything came out.

"When I was run over, it was 2012."

The demon blinked several times, trying to decide if she was lying. There was nothing in her scent or pulse rate that suggested she was speaking falsely. Before he could respond, he heard something coming from the master's bedroom. Looking to the window, he realized that he had spent hours watching his new mate and lost in his thoughts.

"I'm afraid that this conversation will have to wait until later." He pulled the pocket watch from his waistcoat and clicked it open. "It is time to wake the house."

"I will have Mei-Rin, the house maid, bring you some more appropriate clothing and help you prepare for the day." Sebastian stood up easily and moved with the grace of a predator as he crossed the room. "I would appreciate it if you did not say anything about my true nature."

"I'm not stupid. She would probably insist that I be taken to an institution before breakfast."

The demon smirked and nodded at the statement.

*******************************A Demon's Mate**************************************

Mei-Rin knocked timidly on the door with a beautiful green dress in hand that Sebastian had dug out of an unknown dressing room. The corset and other under clothing had been pulled from the same place that the maid had never found. The handsome butler had woken her this morning with orders to tend to their guest. The orders had been explicit, she was not to allow the woman in front of the young master until she was properly attired.

"Come in."

The maid opened the door to see the girl from yesterday standing in front of the windows still dressed in the revealing clothing from yesterday. Mei-Rin curtsied, as Sebastian had reminded her to when he gave her the dress, and stepped into the room.

"I...I've come to help you dress, my lady."

The redhead laughed. "Please, just call me Serena. There's no need to be formal with me."

"But Sebastian said..."

Serena waved that right off. "Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Mei-Rin gaped at the young woman for a moment. No one dismissed Sebastian. Even the young master listened to Sebastian's advice.

"Why don't we get started? I'm assuming I won't be welcome at the breakfast table in this." She ran a hand down the dress she had intended to go to the theater, not take a trip back in time.

"N...No miss." Mei-Rin laid the garments on the bed in the order that they were to be put on.

Serena came over and ran a hand down the green silk.

"Wow, that is beautiful. I'm kind of excited to put it on." She looked at all the layers that were now covering the bed. "It also looks some kind of heavy."

******************************A Demon's Mate***************************************

Ciel finished his morning cup of tea as Sebastian finished tying his shoes. His butler had been explaining the very little information that he had been able to get from the young woman who had shown up on his property. The lord was not impressed and couldn't ignore the feeling that Sebastian was hiding something about the girl from him.

"I will await you in the dining room, master."

"Sebastian."

"Yes, sir." The demon turned to look at his current master.

"You're hiding something about the girl, Serena. I order you to tell me what it is." Ciel stared at the demon, unwilling to back down when Sebastian narrowed his eyes.

"Very well. It seems that Lady Elizabeth's complaint will solve itself very soon. I believe that Serena is my mate."

"Wonderful." Ciel dismissed the butler as he thought about what this would mean for his contract. He would need to re-evaluate his chess board and it's players with this woman's appearance.

******************************A Demon's Mate**********************************

Ciel had just sat down at the table when the doors to the dining room opened. Finny, Bardroy, Snake and Tanaka were already there, awaiting their morning orders. All six of the men stared, open mouthed, at the vision that sailed through the door. The ever present cigarette in Bard's mouth fell to the floor as Finny blushed and Ciel stood slowly from his chair. Even Sebastian stared and quickly realized that he had over filled the master's teacup while doing so.

The lady who walked through the dining room's double doors was a far cry from the girl in far too revealing clothing yesterday. Green silk fell to the floor and highlighted the red hair that had been pulled up in a loose bun with stray strands dancing around her face. The way she held herself gave the essence of untouchable that any true lady would covet.

"Good morning." Serena spoke softly as she copied Mei-Rin's curtsy.

"Good morning." Ciel recovered quickly, waving to the chair and table setting next to him. "Please, join me my lady."

"Thank you, Lord Phantomhive."

Snake held Serena's chair out for her. She smiled at the footman in thanks. As she placed her napkin in her lap, the girl thanked her love of Pride and Prejudice and period dramas that gave her an idea of how to behave.

 _'I can fake this for a bit while I try to find a way home.'_

She waited for the Earl to start eating first. This protocol gave her the opportunity to see which pieces of silverware he used. Serena was trying to find something to say when the sound of the front door bursting open echoed through the manor.

The servants ran to position themselves in front of the doors, preparing for an attack. Ciel and Serena stood and were quickly pushed behind Sebastian.

"Cciiiieeellll!"

The Earl sighed as the servant's stood back. The doors burst open to show a whirlwind of blond hair and pink fabric. Sebastian grabbed Serena to pull her out of harm's way. Ciel cried out as he was grabbed and spun around.

"I'm so happy to see you Ciel. Mother is busy with one of her circles so I was able to come visit again. Isn't that wonderful?!"

Ciel sighed, "yes, Elizabeth. It is good to see you doing well."

The young lady noticed the red head behind Sebastian. "Oh, hello. Are you visiting the manor?"

Sebastian stepped out of the way as Serena came forward to curtsy to the younger girl. "Yes, my lady. I am here to go to school, but seemed to have arrived a little early. The Earl had graciously allowed me to stay until the school season starts."

Ciel looked over at her confused while Serena threw her hands up.

"Yes, Serena is the daughter of one the men I have in charge of setting up the factory in New York. She knows no one else here in London."

Elizabeth squealed at having another girl around.

"This is absolutely wonderful! We'll have so much fun together while you're here." She looked over the girl's dress. "This is beautiful, I can't wait to see what other dresses you have. Come, we'll go try them on. It will be a perfect day!"

"Unfortunately, my lady, my luggage was lost in transit. This is all that I have left." Serena fingered the green silk. "Until I can get to London of course."

"Even more perfect. We'll go to London together!" Lizzy turned to Ciel. "You don't mind if I take your guest for the day, do you?"

"Of course not." Ciel smiled, that fake expression that made Serena shiver a bit. "You two have fun and just have the bills sent to the house."

Serena sent the earl a look of panic when Lizzy squealed again and drug her from the dining room.

"Master, are you sure that this is a good idea? If Serena is to be believed, then she is from another time period. Judging by her clothing, that time could be very different than our own. Although she did well thinking on her feet here, leaving her for an entire day with Lady Elizabeth will give her ample opportunity to trip herself." Sebastian refilled the earl's tea while Ciel sat back down and attempted to finish his breakfast. There was also the small bolt of panic at having the girl out of his sight.

"Saying she was from America was good. Lizzy will just think that her rough edges are from not living in London society. Besides, it gives us a chance to investigate more. Bard and Finny, I want you to go back to the area that you found Serena and make sure there was nothing else with her. Mei-Rin, look through her belongings while she's gone. Report anything suspicious."

"Yes, young master." The three saluted and ran from the room.

"That's normally my job, master."

"You and I need to discuss what Serena's appearance means. You said that you could not attack her, that your own power protected her. I want to know what other limitations you may have with her here."

"As I have said before, you learn faster every day." Sebastian picked up the Earl's finished plate.

"Come to my study when you finish here. That should give you ample time to decide what pieces you wish to tell me." Ciel stood and left the dining room without looking at the demon again. His mind was spinning with the possibilities of things that could go wrong. As he had gotten older, he realized that Sebastian would phrase his answers so he didn't go against orders, but still didn't tell Ciel everything. Irritating yes, but it was something the young lord had learned to live with. This time would give him the opportunity to work on his own phrasing.

****************************A Demon's Mate*****************************************

Ciel was looking through some of the papers from the Vienna factory when Sebastian knocked and let himself into the study. The earl put down the papers and leaned back in his chair while questions rushed to the forefront of his mind.

"Now then, what does Serena's appearance mean to our contract?"

"In a normal circumstance, a mate would make no matter to a demon's contract with a human as the mate almost never meets the subject of the contract."

"But she has met me."

"Yes, master." The demon stopped talking, clearly he was not going to volunteer anything. Ciel would have to pull information out of his butler piece by piece. One question kept running through his mind.

"Who's direction would you take first, hers or mine?"

Swirling eyes flashed with a sharp smirk. "That's the right question. Unfortunately, you are not going to like the answer. For a demon, their mate's wishes always supersede anything else."

Ciel leaned forward as he digested this information. "And if I were to order her to leave?"

"I would have to leave as well. Mates of demons seem to draw trouble like a moth to a flame. That is why they are kept safely within the demon's home. Until she is in my home, I cannot leave her alone."

Running footsteps coming down the hall saved him from having to reply.

"Come in." Sebastian already had the door open when the two men came sliding in.

Bard and Finny ran into the room, the chef holding a small black bag up high. Both were a little out of breath and smiling.

"We found this, young master. It was in the tree close to where she fell." Bard laid the bag triumphantly on the Earl's desk.

"Was there anything else?"

"No sir. We followed her footprints in the snow and searched the entire area. Nothing else was out of place."

"Good, you're dismissed to your other chores."

"Yes, sir!"

Ciel shook his head as they marched out of the room. Grabbing the bag, he opened the latch and looked over at Sebastian. The demon cocked his head to the side.

"Yes, master?"

"I was expecting some form of complaint for going through your mate's things."

"Perhaps I should, but as I wish to know about her as well..." Sebastian waved him on.

The earl dumped the bag onto his desk and spread it's contents across the top. Both looked at the small pile confused. Neither recognized much of what was in there. There was a small lipstick tube, that Ciel pushed to the side in favor of a long, thin, folder type thing. There was a button on one of the long sides that opened the piece. Rectangular pieces of plastic fell out. There were several that they could read the names on.

"Visa, American Express, Walmart."

"Look at this one sir." Sebastian held up another of the rectangles. "Driver License."

There were three other cards that Ciel couldn't read. "They are written in Japanese, sir. This one says student Visa. Tokyo University Student Identification Card. Subway Pass?"

"Why does she have things written in Japanese?" The earl pulled out several pieces of paper. All were the same size and shape but different colored and with different things written on them.

"I believe these are bank notes, sir."

"More reason to suspect that she isn't a servant. There's quite a bit here." He put the money down and moved to the next piece that had fallen from the bag. A thin pink wrapped object, through the paper it felt cylindrical. Ciel opened the wrapper and pulled out a thin, white cylinder. He was looking it over confused when Sebastian quickly grabbed it from his hands and put it in his jacket.

"Sebastian, give it back."

"Young master, please. If it is what I suspect, it is not something for a young gentleman to know about."

"Okay," he shook his head and decided to move on. The demon was obviously not going to budge on that.

Sebastian internally sighed in relief. _'If this is some kind of sex toy that women in 2012 use, I'll definitely have to prepare her for me.' *_

The next thing was another rectangle, heavy, that fit easily in his hand. There seemed to be a case around it. Ciel noticed what looked like a button and pushed it. The thing lit up. He touched a colored square and the front of the object changed. He dropped it back on the desk in surprise.

"Master. If I may." The butler reached forward and turned the object over. On the back was a picture...of a cute version of them. Ciel sat in a throne against a backdrop of night time windows with Sebastian right beside him. Skulls lay on the ground around the throne. Across the top were the same strange symbols Ciel had seen on other things in her bag.

"What does it say?" The young man ran his fingers over the picture, wondering where she could have gotten such a thing.

"I believe it says Kuroshitsuji. It's Japanese as well, master."

"What does that mean?"

"Black Butler."

Author's Note: * I just had to put that in there, sorry if you're offended. I put this in here over an idea I had for the next chapter. Mainly for when Sebastian confronts Serena about that little thing. I did look up some articles on sex toys in the nineteenth century. They were available but mostly woman suffering from "female hysteria" had to go to a doctor for a "medical cure." If a person were found to have one on them at all times, it would be disgraceful. One site had a pic that looked a lot like the shape of a tampon only larger so... it all worked out for this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I really just use this to ramble. But seriously, I have to get back to work.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

Chapter Five

Serena walked back into the Phantomhive manor feeling like she was 90 and riddled with arthritis. This morning, she had made the decision to just ride this dream out. It had to have been brought on by her fall. She probably cracked her head open and was in the hospital. Maybe she was even a vegetable right now and living out the rest of her life in a fantasy world.

No reason to spoil that. She loved this series. Why not live it up? She now had pretty clothes and seemed to have made friends with Lizzy. But, going by the series, that wasn't hard to do. It would be even harder to make friends with Ciel.

Well if it was a dream, might as well go for it.

"Would you like some help, my lady?" She looked up to see Sebastian right beside her. "You seem to be having a hard time. And master would like to see you in his office."

"Of course he wants to see me now. After I just spent the day as his fiancee's distraction." The red head fumed and Sebastian wondered if the old saying was true about a red head's temper.

"Lizzy really, you need to get back home before Aunt Frances starts to worry." Both looked up to see Ciel walking toward the stairs with Elizabeth hanging off his side. The blond was bravely trying to snuggle the cold Earl as he tried to push her away. Serena and Sebastian started to snicker, but a glare from Ciel got them to shut up. Not to stop smiling, but to stop outright laughing.

"Oh, Serena!" The blond moved to her instead and Ciel sighed in relief. The butler reached out a hand to steady Serena so she didn't fall down the stairs as she was hugged. "Today was just lovely. We simply must do it again."

"Of course, my lady. This is one of the most enjoyable days I have ever spent." The older girl returned the hug before Elizabeth flounced down the remaining stairs.

"I will have Sebastian call the estate and tell them you are on your way. Please, be careful Elizabeth and I look forward to your next visit." Ciel's voice was soft as he gently pushed his fiancee out the door the butler was holding. She still managed to sneak in one more crushing hug before getting into the carriage with Paula.

Elizabeth leaned out the window to wave once more as the carriage made its way down the drive to the road. Ciel walked back into the mansion and slammed the door shut before the butler had the chance. A large sigh came out as he leaned against the heavy wood.

"Yeah, I wish you luck, Earl Phantomhive. You got a live wire there." Serena had sat on the stairs where the others had left her. "I think that girl had more energy in one finger than normal people have in their entire body. Either that, or she is on one hell of a permanent sugar rush."

Ciel nodded and pushed away from the door. "Sebastian. Call the Midford estate and tell them Lizzy is on her way home."

"Yes, master." The butler strode across the entryway toward the kitchen to carryout his orders.

After he left, Ciel started up the stairs. "Now that Lizzy is on her way home, I would like to speak to you."

"Unfortunately, I think this is as far as I'm going to get. You can glare at me all you want, but I've been dragged through half of London on foot." She looked up with a grimace. "Let me give you a girl lesson that you seriously need if you're going to marry her. Never give a shopaholic free reign with the money."

The Earl sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "She went through a small fortune, didn't she?"

"I'm not an expert on nineteenth century money, but I wouldn't call that small. I now have an entire wardrobe with all the trimmings on order as well as two gowns that can be worn now with matching slippers. There is also a vanity set, a set of soaps and lotions, hair ribbons, and some small pieces of jewelry for day wear."

"Master, Lady Frances was very appreciative of the phone call." Sebastian appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Maybe she should instruct Lizzy on the proper way to call on people," Ciel snapped.

"I doubt that would help. You're her fiancee, so she doesn't have to give you warning." Serena laughed a little before looking to Sebastian. "I think that I'll take that help now. It's obvious that he's not going to let me spend the night here."

"Of course." The demon swept up the stairs and lifted Serena into his arms.

"Well, that's not quite what I had in mind."

"Come," Ciel waved them to follow. "I still wish to discuss what we found today."

"Did you find some way to send me back home?" The red head couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice. Unknown to her, Sebastian glared at her anticipation to leave him.

 _'Never.'_ The butler sighed at his own possessiveness. _'This could become a problem.'_

"No."

In the study, Sebastian set the red head in the chair directly in front of the Earl's desk and moved to stand behind his master. Ciel pulled her purse from one of the drawers and set it on the large surface.

"I would like you to explain the things we found. I do not recognize most of them."

"You went through my purse?" Serena stared at them both dumbfounded for a moment. The moment was short before anger overtook her. The glare she shot at them was pure female fury and Ciel stopped himself from flinching back. "You went through my purse!?"

The redhead stood from the chair, the fireplace giving a perfect backdrop for her rage.

"I think I need to give you both a girl lesson." She strode forward and the Earl sunk a little further in his chair. The butler moved a little closer to his master. "NEVER touch a girl's purse! It's damn near sacred. Do I make myself clear?"

Both men stared in silence at the wrath before them.

"I'm waiting for an answer!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Serena swiped her purse from the desktop. Going back to her chair, she rifled through the small bag to make sure that everything was still there. She even opened her wallet to make sure all her money and cards were still there. All the while she mumbled under her breath about nosy little boys and thieving demons.

"My lady, I would implore you to understand that you are a guest in the Earl's home that he didn't have to take in and care for. Being a stranger, of course we needed to know what kind of person was currently living with the Earl. It is for the master's protection as well as your own." Sebastian easily interrupted her mumbling and Ciel nodded at his explanation.

The red head glared back. "I would also like you to understand that you could have just asked before rifling through someone's personal possessions. Aren't the nobles in this time supposed to be all about the illusion of courtesy?"

The Earl sighed and stood to come around his desk. "Of course. I do apologize for my behavior. My questions could have been answered by yourself and I ask your forgiveness for my impatience."

Ciel bowed with his apology, which surprised both girl and demon. Serena's anger started to wane and she shook her head.

"Thank you. I admit I may have over-reacted. But, I stand by the girl lesson." She sighed. "What did you want to know?"

"If you could explain what those things are and their use. As I said before, there was not much that I recognized and I would like to know more about this time that you come from."

"Meaning," Serena smirked. "You would like to know if you can market some of the things from my time period in the Funtom Company?"

"Perhaps."

"I don't think there is much that will be of use to you. It's not just the idea or explanation that is needed for things from the future, this time is decades away from the technology needed to produce and use these."

The Earl steepled his hands and nodded. "Each thing is built from something else, that was further built from something even simpler."

"Exactly." Still the girl from the future started to pull things from her purse until they were lined up on the desk again. The last piece she pulled out was her cell phone. Remembering the cover, she put it back.

"We have already seen it, my lady. It is one of the things my master would like explained."

Serena sighed and set the phone out, back cover up.

"Alright, I'm sure that you already know what a tube of lipstick is." At their nod she moved on. "This is a wallet. Most countries have gone to paper money as it is easier for people to carry and easier for governments to print."

She spread out the bills and waited for Ciel's nod before pulling out her cards.

"These are called credit cards. Like today, when Lizzy and I were shopping, she told the merchants to send the bills to the Phantomhive manor. That would be credit. It is a merchant allowing you to purchase or order with the promise of payment. Basically, that is what these cards are. They are an agreement between the card holder and merchant that you may purchase and be billed later." She pulled out the Walmart card. "Some cards are only valid in certain stores. While others can be used at any merchant that has an agreement with the card company. In that case, the company that issues the card, pays the merchant, then the card holder pays the company."

"Alright." Ciel looked at each of the cards before handing them back.

Serena then pulled out her driver's license. "Another thing that changes is that every person has a form of government identification. For example, any person could walk into a store off the street and with the right clothing and demeanor, say they are Ciel Phantomhive, buy whatever they wanted and the bill would be sent to you. In my time period, the merchant would ask for ID. This is also a way for countries to have an approximate number of their citizens and keep closer tabs on people."

With a sigh, the girl picked up her phone. "Earlier, you told Sebastian to call the Midford estate."

Ciel and Sebastian nodded while leaning closer.

"This is a phone from my time period. There are no wires as it works with satellites and cellular towers that pick up signals."

"Satellites and towers?"  
"I know it's hard to explain." Serena rubbed her forehead. "Especially, since I'm not the most technologically inclined person."

"What is a satellite?" Sebastian asked before the earl had a chance.

"In my time, people have found a way to go into outer space." Both men's eyes widened at this. "Satellites are placed in the earth's orbit to send and receive information from around the globe in a matter of moments. Don't ask me to go further into it, because I either don't understand or don't know how to explain. That is the basic explanation that I can give you. I wasn't that great in science and failed physics."

"It appears that you were right. None of these things are useful to me without the technology to work them. However, your time is very interesting."

"Really, it's people inventing stuff that makes things easier. Giving them an excuse to be kind of lazy." Serena ran a hand over her iphone's screen. She was shocked when it lit up. "I still have battery!"

Sebastian and Ciel watched as her face lit up and she kept touching the screen. "This makes my explanation a little easier. You can also play games, send messages, keep your schedule, do research on the internet..."

"Games?" Ciel walked around the desk again to watch over Serena's shoulder. The demon shook his head at his master's favorite past time.

"Yeah, see this is called Bejeweled. You just move the jewels that are next to each other around till three are lined up together and you get points." Serena gave the phone over to the boy after showing him how to do it. Ciel quickly became engrossed. She laughed at his quick grasp of the game.

 _'Lord of Games, huh? I have a feeling that Ciel is a little bit of a genius.'_

The two huddled together and went through all the games that Serena had downloaded on her phone. By the end of Angry Birds, she had pushed him into giving her lessons in chess. Sebastian had brought tea and snacks while they were busy. The demon had watched as his mate seemed to draw the quiet boy into having fun. He even caught a small smile from time to time when his young master won.

"Master, are you forgetting about the back of her phone?"

"Right." The Earl quickly handed the device back and went back to his chair. Serena looked annoyed at Sebastian.

"If you could please explain the photo that is on the back of your...phone."

"You see, in my time, this is all a television show." She waved her hands to encompass the whole of the manor. "In Japan they have books called manga. The manga is sometimes used to base a television show. Yana Toboso wrote the manga Black Butler about a child earl who sells his soul to a demon to get revenge on the people who killed his family."

Ciel and Sebastian looked at each other, recognizing the story.

"I have no idea where the idea came from. Until I dropped onto your lands I thought it was completely fictional. Interesting note, you all are famous."

"Famous?"

"Yeah, the manga was turned into an anime, a television show, which was then turned into various merchandising, a game, plushies, posters, and even 2 musicals. The manga and the anime are available in several countries."

"Musicals?"

"Yeah," Serena laughed. "I thought the same thing when I first heard about them. I thought they had pushed the envelope a little too far. I didn't care for the first one too much and the night that I was sent here, my friends were taking me to see the second one."

"How come you have some of this merchandise?" The demon looked sly as a fox to the red head.

"Are you implying something?" She sniffed and looked away. "Maybe I like the show? Or maybe I thought that cover was too cute to pass up?"

"In any case, this is good for us." Ciel leaned forward on his desk with an evil smile. "Since you like the show and have watched it, you can tell us what happened."

"I may not be as useful as you think. The show depicts the end of your contract when you were thirteen. The manga is still running. Obviously, the anime was wrong. How wrong, I do not know."

Master and demon looked at each other again. Ciel was seventeen now.

"If the television show is based off the book, then how could it be so different?" The Earl was beyond confused now.

"You see, I think the people who produced the show didn't plan on it being so popular. As such, they shortened it considerably. They added elements while cutting others."

"So we need to know which one is closer to the truth."

"Perhaps if we could write down a time line of events since your contract, we could see which is closer and go from there?" She yawned before continuing. "Excuse me. There are also characters that were added in the anime that were never in the manga and vice versa. A list of people that you have met since then would be helpful as well."

Sebastian looked at his watch. "Master, I do believe that is time to prepare for bed. We can discuss this more tomorrow."

The Earl nodded, his mind racing with the things Serena had explained as well as the lists she had requested. Ciel wanted to know everything, not just what she wished to divulge.

 _'There's no other way, I'll have to trip her up somehow. There may be truth in both.'_

Serena stood with them and bowed to the lord. "I will see you in the morning, my lord. Good night."

"Good night, Serena."

The trio left the office before the red head waved and headed off in the other direction. Mei-Rin was rushing up the staircase when Serena met her at the head.

"Oh, good. I was afraid I had missed you, my lady." The maid bowed and almost tripped back down the stairs. Serena grabbed her arm quickly and sighed when the maid was steady on her feet.

"Thank you, my lady."

"Don't worry about it. Now, let's get me out of this torture device you all call a corset."

*****************************A Demon's Mate****************************************

"You're strangely quiet tonight, master. Are you thinking of what Miss Serena told you, or what I did?" Sebastian helped the earl from the bath tub and slipped a towel around his shoulders.

"Both. Her time is very interesting, but also raises the question that if you would have to leave with Serena...what would you do if she simply goes back to her time period?" Ciel held out his arms as the demon slid his night shirt up his arms. Sebastian faltered in buttoning up the shirt.

"I do not know. I guess I would simply have to wait until she is born."

"Perhaps you weren't supposed to meet her until later, that would be why she was born so far in the future from where we are now. Anyway, I believe that there is some other reason as to her appearance. Until we find out what that is, we will have to watch her closely. Her very presence may alter something important. She will also have to be educated in this time. And I am very interested in knowing what all is shown on this television show. She said that she thought the story was purely fictional, however she seems to be fairly knowledgeable in history. As shown by her ability to mimic proper manners. So, how does she not know the Phantomhive family is real?"

"As I said, these things can be discussed in the morning. After your morning lessons, you have the rest of the day free. I will inform Miss Serena that she can explain more about this television show then." Sebastian settled the blankets around his master.

"There's more. I don't like that my life is entertainment for others, no matter how popular it may be. We still don't know what all Serena knows and she doesn't seem to be very forthcoming."

"She isn't going anywhere tonight. We'll have all afternoon to discover a way to get her to talk."

After the lord was settled, the demon set off for Serena's room. The other piece from her purse was still in his pocket and he intended to speak to her about it.

 _'My mate must understand that she has no need for such things and I will not tolerate their presence in my home later. Also, I wish to know what all is revealed about me. Humans cannot know the secrets of demons. My mentor made sure to drill that fact into my very being.'_

He waited until he saw Mei-Rin exit the room and go through the door into the servants part of the house. He knocked lightly on the door and waited for a reply before stepping in. Serena was sitting up on the bed, obviously confused by the interruption. Sebastian made sure to shut the door before snapping his fingers to light the candles on the bedside table.

"I take it there is something that you want to talk about without the Earl around?"

"Quite. There was another device in your purse that I worry about being in the Earl's home. My master has a reputation to protect."

"Okay, first I had no intention of coming into the Earl's home so anything that I supposedly brought in is not my fault. Secondly, what could I have had on me that was so offensive?"

Sebastian pulled the white cylinder from his pocket to show the red head as though he were showing the most damning evidence in a mass murder case.

Serena blinked at him, confused. "My tampon is offensive?"

"Perhaps not where you are from, however here a lady has no use for such a thing and if it were discovered it could bring terrible shame to my master."

Serena couldn't hold her giggle in. "Have you been carrying that around all day?"

"Yes, I have. I couldn't risk one of the other servants or Lady Elizabeth seeing such a thing."

"Wait, exactly what do you think that is?"

The demon looked at the object. "I would assume by it's shape that it is some kind of toy for women."

After a moment, Serena burst out laughing. Sebastian continued to watch her, his irritation growing. Minutes later, the girl was still laughing, her entire face red. Her breathing was becoming more erratic the longer she laughed. She wasn't even making any noise. Every time she seemed to stop, Serena would look over at the butler still holding the tampon up and start another round.

"That's a tampon," she choked out. "Women in my time use it for their period."

"Period?"

"What do they call it in this time? Oh, yes. It's used during a woman's monthly cycle."

The demon couldn't drop the offending piece fast enough. Which started a new round of laughter. Finally, Sebastian turned on his heel and strode from the room, giving up on his other questions for the night. Her laughter followed his all the way to the servant's quarters.

Author's Note: No, I wasn't going to take this out.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Okay, I have to admit that I hadn't read the reviews for Winter's Eve yet. Mostly because I was a little afraid. This was my first foray into writing seriously. I had also been warned not to read the reviews by another writer because they would either make your head swell or throw your confidence into the dirt. But I did tonight and I almost cried. Thank you so much! It's renewed my confidence in the Fallen University series and pushed me to keep going on the second book.

For everyone that has only watched the series and haven't read the manga, Lizzy has a brother, Edward. He makes an appearance in this chapter because I need him. I couldn't decide whether to stick to the manga or the anime so I kind of combined them both. The manga goes deeper, but in the anime, Undertaker is a legend. Yeah. He's a badass in both though.

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Six

The next morning, Mei-Rin woke Serena with much more confidence than yesterday. The maid quickly poured the tea that Sebastian had made before laying out one of the dresses that had been purchased by Elizabeth yesterday. The one she chose was a pretty dark blue satin with white ribbons that emphasized her pale skin. After the maid helped her into the gown, Serena sat in front of the vanity to do her own hair.

Mei-Rin took her nightgown to be laundered and informed Serena that the Earl would await her for breakfast. The girl nodded while slipping pins into her hair to hold it in place.

In the dining room, she and Ciel sat to a delicious breakfast cooked by the butler. She couldn't help but snicker a little when she saw Sebastian.

"What is it?" Ciel looked up from his plate to see the demon glaring at Serena as he set her own plate in front of her.

"Nothing. Just a weird thought."

The Earl kept conversation to her trip with Elizabeth the day before. It was only after Sebastian sent the other servants to their tasks that he broached the subject of last night.

"This afternoon, we'll go through the notable events that have happened since I formed the contract with Sebastian."

"Alright. I'll write down the list of events that are shown in the anime as well as depicted in the manga. Then we'll compare." Serena put down her silverware and placed her napkin on the table. Sebastian came to help her out of the chair.

Ciel stood as well. "Very well, I wish you an enjoyable morning."

Serena bowed as the Earl walked out of the dining room before turning to Sebastian. She decided it was probably a good idea not to bring up last night again.

 _'Irritating a demon is never a good survival tactic.'_

"Could you tell me where I can find some paper?"

"I will bring it to you, my lady." The demon bowed. "Where would you like to spend the morning?"

"I guess I'll spend it in the library. That seems the right place."

"Very good, my lady."

"Sebastian?" Serena bit her lip as the demon looked up. "Where is the library?"

He blinked at her for a moment before smiling. "If you will follow me, my lady."

********************************A Demon's Mate*************************************

 _'I'm so bored!'_

Serena moved some of the papers that were near her face. Her head had dropped to the surface over an hour ago, after the books she pulled down had lost her interest. So had the paper airplanes, doodles, and the time line she was supposed to be working on.

"Are you alright, my lady?"

She screamed, jumping up with a book in hand to hit her attacker. The girl tried to calm down when she saw Sebastian.

"Jeez," she put a hand to her racing heart. "Put a bell around your neck!"

"I am sorry, my lady." The butler's smirk led her to believe otherwise. "Master had asked if you are coming to lunch?"

"I'll be there in a minute." Serena started to gather her papers.

"I can do that, miss."

"No!" Serena scrambled to scoop the papers into a messy pile and quickly picked them up. After seeing his surprise, she stopped for a moment to take a breath.

"I've got it. I'll be down in a minute." The red head smiled up at him.

"Very well, my lady." Sebastian watched as she put the papers in a neater pile and walked out of the room.

Serena stopped by her own room to drop the papers off. She knew that Ciel would probably order Sebastian to search her papers and decided to try a little misdirection. Taking the papers that contained what was shown with Alois and Claude as well as the one outlining the Queen and Ash, she put them in the wardrobe. Taking the rest, she let them slide across the bed.

 _'Do I think that this is going to work...probably not.'_ Throwing up her hands, Serena left the bedroom and headed down the stairs. _'At least I didn't write down the ending of either arc.'_

In the dining room Ciel was rubbing his temples when Serena came in. The earl stood as she entered out of habit.

"You look exhausted." The red head observed as she sat down.

"I'm fine. Have you finished with the list of the events that you have seen?"

"Yes. Have you?"

"Sebastian has it." He waved toward the kitchen.

 _'He means Sebastian did it.'_

Both heard a tinkling sound as the door to the kitchen opened. Sebastian came through with the cart carrying their lunch, the sound getting louder. The tinkling continued as he removed the domes covering the food.

Ciel's eyes widened when he saw the black ribbon holding a small bell resting against the knot in his tie.

"What are you wearing?"

"Miss Serena requested that I wear a bell as I surprised her earlier." The butler answered smoothly while taking Serena's plate from the cart.

As he leaned over, she reached up and pushed the bell with her finger. As it tinkled she laughed a little. The Earl looked at her in horror.

"I can't help it. It's kind of cute." She smiled as he bowed. "I can't tell if I see retribution there or not."

"You'll see it from me!" Ciel reached up and took the ribbon from the demon's neck. "It's utterly embarrassing for my butler to wear a little bell."

"Would it be better if it was a big bell? Like a cow bell?" Serena nodded in excitement.

"Absolutely not!" The earl was working himself into a fit.

"It was a joke." She put a hand on Ciel's arm and looked at Sebastian. "I didn't think that you would actually do it."

"You said that was what you wanted, my lady."

"I apologize. I'll be more careful with what I say from now on." Serena took the bell from the Earl. "I'll keep that though. It's a good memory."

Ciel watched his butler and the girl from the future. He could see the connection between them even if she couldn't and it didn't make him happy.

 _'He would do something so demeaning just because she mentioned it? I don't like this. Not one bit.'_

"Excuse me, master. It seems that we have guests." The butler bowed and walked out of the room to meet the incoming carriage.

"Again?" Ciel felt his headache reaching breaking point very shortly.

The red head grabbed his arm in panic. "I don't want to go with Elizabeth again."

"Master, Lord Edward and Lady Elizabeth are here to see you." Sebastian came back into the room. "I have shown them into the drawing room."

"I'm surprised that Elizabeth hasn't come in here." The earl looked down at his ruined lunch and pushed it away.

"Lord Edward is holding her back. He seems to be fairly angry about something, sir."

"What could he have to be angry about?" Ciel scoffed into his tea. "Did someone beat him in cricket or something?"

"It's about me." Serena leaned back in her chair with a sigh.

"Why would he be angry about you?"

"Come on, my lord. I'm not even from this time and I know the issue here. You spend too much time on your own."

"Well, are you going to enlighten me?" The earl drawled.

"You, his sister's fiancee, have a young, unmarried woman staying in your home without a chaperone." She took a sip from her own cup.

"I still don't see how that is any of Edward's business."

"Wow, you are more sheltered than I thought." Serena just stared at Ciel.

"I believe that you had it right that master does not spend enough time in society, my lady."

"I am sitting right here." Irritation was evident on his face.

"Master, Lord Edward and the rest of society will conclude that Miss Serena is your mistress. Adding insult to the injury of her living in your main home, you introduced her to your fiancee."

"And you can't forget about Edward's small sister complex."

"I wouldn't call it small."

Ciel face exploded in red. "That's preposterous! Even if I had a mistress, I wouldn't keep her in my home and I most certainly would never introduce her to Elizabeth."

The young earl stood embarrassed and strode from the room. Serena and Sebastian hurried after him, both worried at the mood the Earl was in. Indignant fury never mixed well with stupid.

"I'm a little worried at his ability to keep it together," Serena whispered.

"The master is well aware of how to deal with Lord Edward."

"Yeah, has he ever had to deal with Edward when he didn't know that he was going to and when he was already irritated?"

"No." The butler sped up.

"Edward, Lizzy. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Ciel!" Elizabeth started to come forward but was pulled back by her brother. "Edward, what is wrong with you?"

The red head came up behind Ciel with Sebastian. Edward stiffened at the sight of Serena standing next to his sister's fiancee.

"What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with you!" He pointed to Ciel. "How could you do this to my sister? I always knew that you weren't good enough for my sweet, little sister."

"I have no idea what you are talking about Edward. Perhaps you should calm down."

"Calm down! You're keeping your whore in the house and encouraging my beloved sister to spend time with her."

To her credit, Serena continued to smile as she stood behind the earl.

"As I said before, I have no idea what you are talking about. Miss Serena, nothing more." Ciel sneered at the older boy. "And I do not appreciate such behavior in my home."

"I do not appreciate you introducing my innocent sister to someone like that." The tone of his voice suggested that Ciel had exposed Elizabeth to the lowest scum to be found in a London gutter.

Sebastian looked to his master as he felt something break within the boy.

"If Elizabeth didn't barge into my home whenever she felt like it, she wouldn't meet people that you're not happy with."

"If you weren't so inconsiderate of Lizzy, she wouldn't feel the need to barge into your home."

The lady in question looked between them as tears fell down her cheeks. "Ciel..."

"If your family would understand that I am a busy man, then I wouldn't be seen as inconsiderate. I have more important things to do than flit between the nobles' parties and horse races. If you had more things to occupy your time than spending your father's money, you might understand."

"Why you! Perhaps if you spent more time in society you would stop embarrassing my sister with your inexcusable social blunders!"

"Really? Have you ever thought that it is my staying away from those idiotic social engagements that keeps my mind out of the gutter? Serena is a guest of the Phantomhive family, nothing more and I will not let you or anyone else insult her. If you're so interested in knowing who my mistress is, that you'll accuse a proper lady, I'll give you her name."

Elizabeth let out a sob. Serena looked to her and then to Sebastian not knowing what to do.

"This has to stop."

The demon shook his head. "There is no stopping it now."

"A proper lady? Ha! A proper lady traveling alone with no luggage and staying in a bachelor's home without a chaperone? She's nothing but a whore. If she isn't your mistress than she's aiming to be."

Sebastian took a step forward but Serena put a hand on his arm. When he looked down she shook her head.

"Neither I nor any of my family will step foot inside this house until you get rid of her." Edward pulled his sobbing sister behind him as he headed for the door.

"Good! I'll finally get some peace then, won't I?"

The butler sprang forward to open the front door. After Elizabeth was out the door, he slammed the heavy wood behind them.

"Are you okay?" Serena reached out to touch his shoulder but thought better of it and pulled the hand back.

"I'm fine." He continued to stare at the door before straightening. Rebuilding the calm and collected demeanor he always wore. "Well, that was ugly. I wonder, did I win that argument?"

"You did get them to leave, master." Sebastian cocked his head to the side as he thought about it.

"And you got the last word. That counts as a double win in my family." The red head smiled at him encouragingly.

The man nodded and turned to the stairs.

"My lord?"

"We had an appointment this afternoon, didn't we?"

Serena looked to the demon and back to the Earl. Both simply stared back, as if the previous incident hadn't happened at all.

"Okay, I'll get the papers from my room." She walked up the stairs behind Ciel, still not sure of how to act. Sebastian had moved back to the dining room to clear lunch.

"Come to my study when you have the papers. We'll go over them there." He waved her off and went quietly down the hall. Serena stared after him.

' _Ciel just keeps burying everything further and further into himself. It's no wonder that he lost it. But will he be able to fix this later?'_

Author's Note: I do have a meaning for this argument later, I promise.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: There isn't one!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

Chapter Seven

Ciel collapsed in his chair, enjoying the silence of his study. The stacks of papers from the morning had been gone through and either signed or rejected, so the surface was clear. Everything was in place and perfect.

 _'So why do I want to wreck it? Because I sunk to yelling with Edward? And Lizzy...'_

A short knock preceded Sebastian into the room. The butler was pushing a cart now loaded with tea and snacks. He knew that his master would appreciate the strong, English tea and sweets after such a scene.

"Do you have the papers?"

"Yes, master." A small packet was pulled from his inner coat pocket and sat on the desk. Ciel quickly flipped through them and nodded before laying the stack on the desktop.

Sebastian set a cup before the Earl and walked to the door. He opened it just as Serena was about to knock.

"Please come in, my lady." The butler bowed.

"Thank you, Sebastian."

Ciel waved her to sit in the chair from last night.

"Alright. Why don't you show me what you have?" He held his hand out.

Serena stared at the hand with a smile. Finally, she handed the couple of pages that she had.

"What is this?" Ciel looked at both and then back at the girl. "All you have are names...and mostly just first names."

"That's right." The girl rested her head in her hand. "I may not be the brightest crayon in this little crayola box, but I'm smarter than that. There may be an event in what I've seen that if you know about, may completely change the future."

"Have you thought that that may be the entire reason that you're here? To change something?"

The glare he shot her caused the girl to laugh. "You're going to have to do better than that, my lord."

"Fine."

**********************************A Demon's Mate***********************************

Hours later, Ciel and Serena were hunched over the desk writing down the differences in their stories. Most of the differences were timing, some were people that were wrong and some had never happened at all.

"Okay, so the Jack the Ripper case. That was spot on. And you went to Houndsworth, but there was no Pluto or Angela." Serena made some notes on her paper while taking others and setting them on the floor. "And, I've seen Snake so the Circus Arc is right. Judging by what I've seen and your own description, I would say that the Midford's are right."

"Prince Soma and Agni, the curry competition, and their current residence of the townhouse is correct as well." Ciel shuffled through and pulled out the pages concerning the two Indian men.

"The doll house arc was completely wrong." She took those pages and tossed them to the floor. Sebastian twitched out of the corner of her eye. "Earl Grey and Charles Phipps are the queen's actual butlers."

Serena looked over all the papers on the floor. "It looks like most of the edits are from the anime."

"Don't call them edits! This isn't some book, it's my life." Ciel glared at the red head as he threw the papers he was holding to the desk.

"You're right. I apologize." She picked up the pages that he had thrown down. "On the other hand, there seems to be many incidents that I know nothing about. In contrast, they are less...sensational compared to the ones that I do know. It could be why they were left out." She thought for a moment before picking up another piece of their self-made puzzle.

"The Campania arc was false. I'm not surprised. It was based on the Titanic sinking which doesn't happen until 1912."

"Really?" Ciel leaned forward at her slip up. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

"Well, it really was the..." Serena looked up and snapped her mouth shut. "Damn it. No more questions!"

The Earl smirked at her frustration. It wasn't the first time that she had spilled about future events but always seemed to catch herself before telling too much. He filed away what little she had told him in his memory for future study and moved on with the time line.

"Strange, Snake is here, but you never had the house party that brought him here in the manga. However, it was Soma and Agni who sent him here after finding him at the townhouse." Holding the page about those chapters she decided to put them at the bottom of her pile of possibles.

Also at the bottom of that pile were papers about Alois and Claude. Ciel had known the Trancy family, but admitted that he didn't know much about them. The current Earl's son had been kidnapped as an infant, but hadn't been found yet. When asked, Serena had merely said it was a case they may receive and moved on. She hadn't told them about the first season ending as she had tossed that page. Without Ash/Angela in the mix, she didn't believe that the queen was behind the murders of the Phantomhive family.

"Let's see, the abbey was a cult that was easily disbanded. That case ended there." Another paper fluttered to the floor accompanied by another twitch from the butler. "The Weston College arc did happen, but you won't tell me what happened."

"Turn about is fair play, my lady." Sebastian smiled at the red head.

"Yeah, yeah." Serena leaned back in her chair with a huff. "Is is just me or are all these pages starting to blend together?"

"They are. It could be that we've been looking at them too long." Ciel threw the pages over his shoulder to see the demon twitch again. "This is seeming to be a futile exercise. We're not getting anywhere. From what I can see, I know more than you do."

"Yes, master. It looks to me that all you are accomplishing is a rather large mess."

Both looked up to see the angered demon. His smile was cold and frightening to Serena, but another source of amusement to Ciel. The Earl merely smiled.

"Well, I can't let you have too much spare time on your hands, now can I?"

"Yes, master."

"So what do we do now?"

Ciel rubbed his temple. "There's one other person that we could ask."

"Master..."

"Sebastian, prepare the carriage. There's still enough daylight to get to London." The butler bowed and left the room.

"Who are we going to see?" Serena leaned forward but refused to let herself get too excited.

"The Undertaker will know if there is anything being said about your appearance here."

"Yes!" The red head jumped from her chair with a hand up and a huge smile on her face.

"You're excited to see the Undertaker?"

"Yes!"

"Most find him creepy." The Earl stood slowly.

"He's awesome." She stopped for a moment. "Well, at least the one that I know of. But all of your personalities so far have been exact." She nodded. "Yeah, still excited."

 _'Wait, if the Campania didn't happen and neither did Ash/Angela, then do they know that he's a reaper? Is Undertaker a reaper at all?"_

*******************************A Demon's Mate****************************

"Serena," Ciel looked up from staring out the window. The English countryside held nothing new for the Earl as Sebastian drove the carriage into London.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Why did you not say anything to Edward? I know that you were expecting his accusations, but I thought that you would have at least tried to correct him." He raised an eyebrow. "You are not shy about correcting me."

"True. However, my correcting you is more of teaching." Serena smirked a little evil. "Don't mistake it, there's nothing more that I would rather have done than knock his teeth down his throat. However, if I were to act out it would merely confirm his beliefs. If I act the perfect lady, it'll piss him off."

Ciel stared at her for a moment in disbelief. A strange feeling overtook the current head of Phantomhive as he watched the red head, her words echoing in his ears. A chuckle escaped as the Earl shook his head.

"I think I'm count that as a laugh." Serena nodded with a proud smile on her face. "I got you to laugh, kind of."

Both let out a surprised yelp at Sebastian's appearance, hanging upside down in the carriage window.

"I was merely concerned about the strange sounds I was hearing."

"Sebastian? If you're here, then who is driving the horses?" Serena dug her nails into the seat as the carriage hit a rut. The butler disappeared as if he had never been there.

"Anyway, a good point in this is that we won't have to worry about Lizzy or the rest of my family sticking their nose into this case."

"Oh, I've been downgraded to a case now?"

The Earl glared at her.

"I guess there's no helping it, with all the strangeness you're bound to see my appearance as another mystery to be solved. I guess that's okay." The red head went back to looking out the window. Countryside was giving way to city. Farms to factories, tradition to progress, rolling fields to paved streets and crowded buildings.

"We're almost there. It should only be a few minutes." The two lapsed back into silence, both watching the life of the city as a show that they had no part to play in.

Serena practically vibrated in her seat as the carriage stopped in front of the Undertaker's parlor. Ciel stared at her brilliant smile and shook his head.

"I still don't understand why you're so excited."

"The Undertaker is one of my favorite characters from the show. I wonder if the personality is as spot on as you guys?" The red head finally did start bouncing when Sebastian opened the carriage door and had to stop herself from pushing Ciel to get him out of the vehicle faster. "Do you actually pay him for information in jokes?"

"Ugh, unfortunately." The Earl didn't knock as he opened the door to the parlor and stepped inside. "Undertaker? I need to speak with you."

The white haired man turned from a casket to face the trio, his normal snicker echoing throughout the room as he set the lid down gently. He was exactly as depicted, from his mane of white hair to the heeled boots, to his accent.

"Ah, the Earl of Phantomhive. Are you finally interested in trying out a coffin? You should know more than anyone, that you may need one sooner than you think."

"No thank you, Undertaker." Ciel felt air sweep past him as Serena ran across the shop.

"Oh, you're even cooler in person!" The red head took his hands in her own.

"Thank you, I do try." Undertaker poked the girl in the nose with his long fingernails. "You are not supposed to be here."

"There's a newsflash." She deadpanned, still holding his hands. The man looked beyond her to see Sebastian clench his hands into fists and letting his eyes glow red for a split second. Undertaker burst out laughing. Ciel and Serena looked between the butler and mortician confused.

He shook his head. "That's good, I'll give you some information for that laugh. But, I wonder what information are you here for; the rapist or the time-traveler?"

"Scotland Yard has charge of such mundane things. We need to know why Serena is here."

"Ah, you should know that few things cross your path are simple and mundane. The case of the serial rapist is indeed within your sphere of expertise or perhaps I should say your butler's. And that's all I'll give you... until you pay the full toll."

Undertaker put an arm around the smaller man. "Give it to me! The greatest laugh I've ever known!"

"Master, Miss Serena. Please step outside." Sebastian stepped forward with a smirk as the reaper panted in anticipation.

"But I want to know what kind of jokes you always tell him." Serena whined when Ciel took her arm.

"A lady has no need to hear such things." The demon pulled his gloves tighter.

"Oh, come on. Is that the defense you are going to use?"

Sebastian just stared at her and refused to say anything. She rolled her eyes while turning away.

"Fine, we'll be outside."

As Ciel led the way outside, Serena couldn't help but feel left out. She had always wondered what the demon had said to the reaper that got him to laugh so hard. Here was her chance and she was sent away like a little child.

The Earl didn't seem to mind and simply stood waiting for the signal to come back in. As time passed, Serena started to look around, her short attention span getting the best of her. She saw a shop that sold art supplies and wandered off. Looking in the window she realized it was just a stationary shop.

 _'Well, I have no use for that. It's not like I'll be writing any letters.'_ She continued to walk while looking at the various shops. Finally, she found what she was looking for. Going inside, she smelled the familiar scent of oils and turpentine, thick drawing paper and charcoals. Touching some of the papers, she wondered if Ciel's generosity from yesterday was still in effect.

 _'No. Whether he knows it or not, Ciel spent more than enough money on me yesterday. Besides, I'm sure such a large house has drawing paper.'_ Nodding to herself, Serena quickly left the shop. When she looked around, she didn't recognize the street. _'Great. Will I ever learn not to wander off? I can't be that far, maybe a couple streets over.'_

She choose the direction that she thought she had come from and started walking. Making note of her surroundings, Serena realized that nothing looked familiar at all. At another intersection, she stopped to look down each road.

"Are you lost, my lady?"

The red head jumped and turned to a brunette gentleman. He was dressed well with freshly pressed clothing and shined shoes. His hair shined brightly from being well cared for and his smile was easy. Still, there was something about the man that put her on edge.

"It appears so. I'm looking for the Undertaker's parlor. My family has business there."

"Ah, no wonder you stepped away. Awful business for a lady." The man held out a hand. "Still you should not be walking around unescorted. I'll show you back, my lady."

Hesitating, Serena finally gave the man her hand which he tucked into the crook of his arm. "My name is Marcus, my lady. It is a pleasure to be your humble guide."

"Serena, and I thank you very much."

"No trouble. The Undertaker's parlor is down here. His shop is a little out of the way."

Serena followed the man into the small by-way. Looking ahead, the girl didn't see his eyes glow as he looked down at her.

*****************************A Demon's Mate****************************************

Sebastian opened the door with a smile on his face. He quickly noticed something was missing. Or rather someone.

Still smiling he looked to the earl. "Master, where is Serena?"

"She's right..." Ciel looked around the street in confusion. "She was just here."

The butler rubbed his temple. "She's going to be nothing but trouble."

"Go find her, Sebastian. I'll talk to the Undertaker."

Suddenly, the silver-haired man popped up behind the demon. "I believe that some of my information will be useless now. He's found another one."

"What are you talking about?" The Earl snapped

"The lust demon that's feeding on young women in London."

A short scream tore through the air. Both the Undertaker and Ciel saw a look of panic cross Sebastian's face.

"Do not leave here, Master." The sound came from the wind as the demon disappeared.

"Shall we have tea, little lord?"

Author's Note: Yeah, I feel a little evil right now. I will tell you that I already have the next chapter written.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: (Insert Author's evil laugh here) Now, bring on the Shinigami!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

Chapter Eight

"I won't say it again, let the girl go." William T. Spears set the log book from his recent assignment aside as he faced the demon before him.

"What does a reaper want with my meal? I'm not going to kill her." Marcus stared down at the red head hungrily. "She would even enjoy it, if she would just stop fighting."

"If she had bargained with you than I would do nothing, however, she has not. I will not allow you to taint such a soul." The reaper adjusted his glasses.

Serena cried out against the hand over her mouth as the demon tightened his hold around her ribcage, making it harder to breathe.

"She has a purpose, unlike you." Will started to walk closer. With every step, Marcus pulled his prey further into the alley's shadows.

"Hey boss," Ronald Knox jumped down from a rooftop. "What are you doing? We're not supposed to interfere."

"That soul does not belong here. There must be some reason, and it's not to be some demon's dinner." He pushed the younger Shinigami aside "Besides, I'm sick of losing souls to these vermin."

"Why are you reapers so protective of these humans anyway? They are the real vermin, destroying everything they touch before speeding toward their own demise."

"I would never expect something like you to understand."

While the two bantered back and forth, Serena had forced her body to relax. As she hoped, Marcus relaxed his grip as time went on and she didn't struggle.

 _'Don't the reapers always get their asses handed to them when they fight demons? Or is that just when they fight Sebastian?'_ Her eyes widened with the thought. _'Of course, I'm such an idiot. If I could get a scream out, he'll hear me. We can't be that far away. Maybe a couple of streets.'_

Serena felt Marcus move his fingers against her lips and sighed. _'Well, here goes nothing.'_

Opening her mouth, she grabbed the nearest finger and bit down as hard as she could. The demon pulled his hand back for a second. That was all she needed to voice the scream that had been trapped in her throat since Marcus had grabbed her. Unfortunately, the act of defiance was cut short. Ribs gave way under the beast's strength and the hand across her mouth was replaced. He laughed evilly.

"I think I'm going to keep you for a while. Such spirit."

"You're wrong." Shadows elongated in the space between buildings. Power crackled and snapped along the air as everyone looked to the mouth of the alley to see Sebastian.

"Wonderful, another one." Will used his scythe to readjust his glasses again.

"Elder," Marcus pulled Serena even further back as she started to struggle again. The red head moved with more urgency, seeking any weakness to get to the black haired demon and the safety he represented.

Sebastian barely glanced at the reapers, keeping his swirling eyes trained on the lower demon. "You will take your hands from my mate, before I feed them to you."

 _'What?!'_ Serena stopped for a moment convinced she had heard the demon wrong.

The shadows stretched and twisted until they took over all the available space. Darkness filled the alley with eternal night as Sebastian's eyes glowed with the power radiating from his body. His demonic aura crackled along the skin of everyone in the alley. The reapers shivered in disgust at the twisted power. Black feathers fell gently around Serena, caressing her skin and protecting her from the power rising all around her.

"Mate? I thought I only smelled one beast's stench around her." Will thought for a moment. "You haven't claimed her yet."

"While I appreciate your interference, this matter has nothing to do with reapers." Sebastian didn't take his eyes from the other demon and his mate as he addressed Spears and his underling.

"I don't suppose you could be persuaded to let the girl go? A pure soul should not have to suffer the touch of a corrupt being."

"Never." The butler started to walk forward. "There must be something wrong with your hearing. I believe that I had already told you," The aura around them all turned harder, colder with his voice. "Hands off my mate."

Marcus immediately released the red head. She ran straight at the butler, hiding behind him. Will and Ronald scoffed.

"So quick to run toward the darkness." Will shook his head.

"Who got the demon to let me go?" Serena stuck her tongue out at the reaper but quickly went back to hiding.

"Of course. Demons are always protective of what belongs to them." Sebastian's voice slid like silk over her skin.

"We'll talk about that later!" Her hands tugged at the back of his tailcoat. "Now is the time to kill things."

"Really?" The demon's gaze shifted to the reapers.

"Not them!"

"Well, you did say things. You need to be more specific."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "You're just looking for a better fight."

Marcus decided to take this moment to run. He tried to jump to the nearest rooftop, but Sebastian's feathers drove him back to the cobblestones, imbedding in his body and pinning him to the ground.

"We'll bow out this time. Her decision is made, for the time being." Will bowed to Serena before picking up his book and nodding to Ronald. "Should you change your mind…" The two disappeared into a black hole that had formed in the brick of a nearby building.

"Okay, now that was a kind of cool." Serena stared at the now complete brick front. Letting go of the butler's tailcoat, she started to walk over to the wall. Marcus shifted on the ground and she raced back to Sebastian's side.

"Now, now. There is nothing to be afraid of." The older demon walked over to stare down at the other. "You are normally based in Edinburgh. What are you doing in my territory?"

"Elder, forgive me. I didn't know that you were in London. I was told to report to Andromalius."

Marcus pleaded as he tried to free himself from the feather trap around him.

"You were told wrong. I suppose that offense I can overlook." Sebastian smiled sadistically down at the weaker demon. "However, you are far too troublesome to remain in my territory. Add to that, you attacked my mate. You caused harm to my mate."

"You haven't claimed her yet! How is anyone to know?"

"I did tell you and you still didn't let her go." He turned back to Serena, his smile warming a bit. "I'm afraid that this is something that you should not see."

She looked confused at his raised hand. As it passed before her face, green eyes fell closed. Serena felt Sebastian catch her as her legs gave out. Pain exploded from her ribs at his touch. She saw anger pass over his face before darkness took over her vision and the pain vanished into velvet black. He took off his coat and placed it beneath his mate's head as a makeshift pillow.

"Now, for you." The demon walked forward with a vicious smirk and another dropped from the rooftop above.

"Found you."

The other demon was tall when standing to his full height. His blonde hair and blue eyes added to the Nordic heritage evident in his bone structure. A young Viking before his death as a human, the man's looks hadn't changed much when he was awoken as a demon and made it easy for him to find food at any time.

"Lucien." Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "I did not know that you were in London either."

The blond turned to face the other demon surprised.

"Elder." He bowed with a smile. "You're so good at hiding yourself that I didn't even feel another demon. It's good to see you."

"Why are you in London, without informing me?"

Lucien rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "I came up to feed and my first stop was your current residence. Then I heard about this little flea and figured I could take care of it for you on the way. He gave me a little more trouble than I had planned on."

Sebastian waved the other closer, a dangerous look in his eye. He came slowly, knowing what was coming but not following orders was never an option. A smack and cry was heard through several streets in the area. "Always go to the Elder first. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this. Being a member of my family will not save you if you anger another Elder."

The younger demon stepped back, his head still bowed. "Please forgive me, Elder."

"Have you fed while in my territory?"

"Of course not."

Sebastian sighed, obviously not happy but willing to let it go. Lucien smiled, his normal pleasant attitude coming back despite the pain still in his head. The younger demon finally noticed the woman lying behind his family's head.

"And who's this?" He started forward, his smile turning hungry. "She looks delicious. Do you think she likes blonds?"

A growl made him stop in his tracks. He looked to his Elder and shank back. Sebastian's eyes glowed in warning, his shadow taking on a life of it's own and showing a bit of the reality behind his human guise. Sebastian stepped to the side, effectively hiding Serena from the younger's gaze. Lucien quickly backed away.

"Forgive me again, Elder. I did not sense your contract with her."

"She is not my contract."

Lucien looked confused for a minute, before understanding dawned.

"Have you found your mate, Elder?" The younger's smile was brilliant, putting Finny's innocent sparkles in the shade. "This is wonderous news! Congratulations Elder, and Emily will be so happy to have another woman around. Are you going to wait until the conclusion of your current contract to bring her home?"

"Yes." Sebastian rubbed his temple and shades his eyes from Lucien's childlike enthusiasm. "My master is constantly in trouble. I cannot leave long enough to take her to the tower."

"I will prepare everyone, leave it to me. When you return, it will the greatest homecoming our family has ever seen. And Lord Haagenti will be just as happy as the rest of us."

A groan came from the ground and interrupted their conversation. Both of their eyes went back to Marcus. The brunette demon had still been trying to get away as the Elder had been disciplining his underling.

"It's useless, you know? No one can escape the scope of the Elder's wings." Lucien smiled evilly at the demon on the ground. "What I don't understand is, why do you abduct and rape the women you feed on? You get a much more filling meal from a willing human."

"It's their fear. The fight adds such a delicious spice to their essence."

"As I said, you are far too troublesome to remain in my territory. You've drawn the notice of human law enforcement as well as the attention of my master. That alone is enough of a reason to be rid of you. When you add to these facts that you attacked an Elder's mate, there is no other sentence for you but a final death." Sebastian smirked at the fear coming from the younger demon.

Lucien giggled, his eyes glowing. "Can we play with him a little, Elder? He has been most difficult."

"Those were my thoughts exactly." His canines lengthened, giving a glimpse of the corrupt being that lurked beneath the elegant facade.

Author's Note: I'm not sure what it would take to kill a demon, so I couldn't write it. But whatever it would take, I am sure that Sebastian could handle it. Besides, I am a fan of the Hitchcock school of horror. What your imagination would come up with will always be better than what is shown to you.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I saw a shirt that Serena so needs. It said, 'Only 2% of the world has red hair. So I'm a majestic unicorn.' I also want to thank those on here that have picked up a copy of Tangled Mirror. I hope that you enjoyed it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

Chapter Nine

Back with Ciel and Undertaker...

Ciel started to go after Sebastian, worried for Serena as well. Undertaker took his arm in a vise and led him back into the shop.

"What do you think you are doing? Unhand me!"

"Now, now little earl. You would be no use to him is this matter. Whenever demons clash, there is nothing but blood." The man giggled while pulling the teen into the shop without much effort.

"What do you mean when demons clash?" Ciel finally admitted defeat and sat on one of the coffins with a huff, straightening his clothing and pulling the icy coldness of rank around himself.

"The serial rapist that had been plaguing London for the last week or so, he's a demon. One who feeds on a human's essence not their soul. And he's in the wrong territory. Add to that he attacked an Elder's mate and well, it's going to be quite ugly." The mortician giggled into his sleeve.

"What do you know about Sebastian that I don't?"

"Quite a bit actually. But that's another bit of information." Undertaker laughed softly at the look that crossed the earl's face.

"But isn't what you've already started to tell me connected to Sebastian? And you said that the information about the rapist, that was already paid, for was now useless."

"Ah, so it is." Undertaker took a seat on the coffin across from Ciel. "You see, you have a very valuable soul, my lord. To have the power to summon an Elder demon and the brains and soul to keep him interested. Elder demons do not need to feed nearly as often. Some can go decades without eating a soul, so they are picky about the contracts they form. When an Elder is summoned to our plane, they have a certain radius that is considered their territory. Weaker or younger demons must inform the Elder if they are passing through or are feeding in their territory. Other Elders inform each other as a matter of courtesy."

"Courtesy amongst demons?" Ciel scoffed at the idea.

"Think what you will, young earl. But the fact remains, that while more brutal, many aspects of demon society are much more civil than your own. Probably because they live so long. War, chaos and destruction will only occupy a being for so long." He smirked. "Besides, if they feel the need, demons only have to come up to the human world if they miss wartime amusements."

"So Sebastian is an Elder and he's claimed London as his territory during our contract, is that what you're telling me?"

"Exactly."

"Undertaker," both looked up to see Sebastian, with that fake smile showing his irritation, in the doorway. "You're supposed to be telling him of Serena."

"Of course." The reaper laughed. "Unfortunately, there's nothing to tell."

"What?!"

"All of my sources are keeping mum on the subject. It seems that no one knows why she was sent here, even the higher ups. The only one who does is the one who did the sending. That is in itself interesting enough."

Ciel stood. "Where is Serena?"

"She's in the carriage my lord, and needs to return to the manor." Sebastian looked back outside, not leaving the entryway.

He was already feeling the strain of being pulled in two different directions.

"Very well, if you cannot tell us anything more, we'll be on our way." Ciel stood and moved to the door.

"Just remember that pulling someone through time takes a great deal of power. To find the answer you seek, you need to find those with enough strength to manipulate time itself." The Undertaker waved them off. "Bring her with you when you come again. I'll let her stay in the shop next time."

When Ciel stepped into the carriage he was shocked at the condition Serena was in. Sebastian had laid the girl across the other seat and she appeared to be sleeping. Her hair hung limply around her face, she was beyond pale, her dress was rumpled and disordered. It was a far cry from the put together woman that he had become used to expecting.

"What happened?"

"She was indeed entertaining the demon Undertaker had spoken of." Sebastian smiled down at his master.

"Is it taken care of?" Ciel continued to stare at Serena.

"Of course, master."

"Is she alright?"

"She will be." Sebastian closed the door at the lord's nod and jumped up to the box.

As the carriage swayed out of the city, Ciel noticed how she would frown and put a hand to her side. He continued to watch the girl as his mind turned over all the information he had gained from the Undertaker. It may have not seemed like a lot of info but it did have impact.

 _'I always wondered why I had never seen any other demons and had simply concluded that contracts_ _like ours were rare. But, if Undertaker is to be believed, then it could simply be Sebastian keeping them_ _away. Could he really be that powerful? Could Sebastian have the power to mess with time? Not long_ _ago I was certain the answer would be no. Now, I'm not so sure. I need more information, but I only_ _have one place to ask.'_

Ciel looked out the window at the countryside speeding by. Irritation was evident on his face.

 _'It's not as though I haven't asked before, but that damn demon keeps finding ways to dodge the_ _question. I obviously haven't asked the right question yet.'_

The Earl felt the carriage hit a rut and Serena let out a yelp. Green eyes opened to see Ciel leaning over her. He held out a hand to help her sit up.

"Thank you." Serena kept a hand on her ribs as she tried to find a comfortable position to sit.

"Are you alright?" He moved back to his own seat.

"Yeah," she tried to sit another way and gasped. "Oh, movement bad with broken ribs."

"Broken ribs?" Ciel scoffed. "I thought demons were supposed to take care of their mates."

He knew the butler would hear him and expected a response that never came.

"I don't want to talk about that right now!"

The Earl covered his surprise at the girl's outburst. She groaned again as she shifted.

"Well, that's what I get for trying to get out of a trouble by myself. Word to the wise, never bite a demon. Retribution is not worth it."

"You bit him?"

"What else was I supposed to do?"

The Earl shook his head. "Word to the wise. Next time, just wait for Sebastian. Your injuries are your own fault."

"So much for sympathy for the injured. What did the Undertaker have to say?"

"Not much. He seemed to be rather talkative about Sebastian more than anything." Ciel rubbed the top of his walking stick as he thought.

"He didn't say anything about me? About how I'm supposed to get home?"

"Just that there was nothing being said about you. Everyone knows that you are here but no one knows why. Now, I want to hear about what happened to you."

Serena sighed. "My lack of attention span. That's what happened. I wandered off to look at some of the shops and got lost. What looked like a gentlemen offered to help me back to Undertaker's parlor. Evidently, he decided I looked delicious."

She cocked her head to the side. "I think I'll take that as a compliment." The girl waved that off. "Anywho, reapers showed up and tried to step in but I remembered how they seemed to lose against demons. So, I took it upon myself to find a way to scream, thinking that Sebastian would hear me. Hence the biting and the screaming and ensuing rib breakage. I think the corset is helping with that. I would hate to be taking this ride with no support on the ribs. Let's see, then Sebastian showed up, started spouting out all this crap about me being his mate, whatever that's about. The reapers left, Marcus let me go and Sebastian made me pass out. He seems to like to do that."

They both felt the carriage turn into the drive and went silent. Once in front of the house, Sebastian opened the door. His face was set with that fake smile that always creeped Serena out.

"I think he heard us." The girl mulled over the option of trying to descend the step herself and decided that with the ribs and the large dress, that just wasn't going to happen.

After Ciel exited the vehicle, the red head gave Sebastian her hand. Her senses were on high alert for any movement from the angered demon. On the ground, she stepped just right to set off her ribs.

Sebastian scooped her up and walked to the doors that Snake had opened.

"Welcome home, Master. Miss Serena." The man took the Earl's greatcoat and hat.

"Did anything notable happen while we were away?"

"No, sir."

The words were no sooner out of his mouth when an explosion shook the manor. Ciel sighed at the all too normal occurrence.

"Sebastian, take Serena to her room and then find out what Bard has destroyed now."

"Yes, master." The butler bowed, still holding the red head, and headed up the stairs.

Serena was strangely quiet as she was carried to the guest room she was occupying. Once inside, Sebastian set her down and stepped back.

"I'll wrap your ribs after I deal with Bardroy."

"I'm sure Mei-Rin can handle it." The girl moved carefully and walked to the bathroom.

"You would take the bumbling maid over me?"

"Hey, just because I'm willing to stroke your ego for saving my life does not mean that I'm going to let you play grab ass in gratitude." She shut the door firmly.

"Grab ass?" Sebastian watched the door for a moment, debating on continuing this discussion, when another shock wave ripped through the mansion.

"Sebastian!"

"Yes, yes. I'm going, master." The demon walked quickly through the halls. Entering the section of the house used by the servants, he saw traces of smoke. The closer he got to the kitchen, the more smoke filled the air. He could hear the yells of the servants and that murderous rage he felt earlier came creeping back.

"Finny, don't throw water on it! That will only make it bigger!"

"Why did you light the oil anyway, Bardroy?"

"It's a new technique!"

Sebastian took a minute to gather himself, sighing in irritation. They never seemed to learn. In all the years those three had been at the mansion, they never got any better. The butler didn't understand why bumbling servants were something desirable in novels and short stories.

 _'If they had to live with the bumbling idiots, authors would understand that there is nothing comedic_ _about it.'_

Finally, he pushed the door open.

"What is going on in here? Are you trying to reduce the mansion to rubble?"

The three saw Sebastian and jumped in fear.

"Mei-Rin, take the first aid kit to Serena's bedroom. There was a small incident while we were in town and she needs her ribs bandaged."

"Yes, sir!" The maid took the opportunity to run away from the angry butler without a second thought.

Finny looked between Bard and Sebastian before rushing after Mei-Rin. "I should get back to the

garden!"

"Where are you going?!" The chef watched them leave with a touch of fear.

*********************************A Demon's Mate************************************

Upstairs, Mei-Rin knocked before opening Serena's door. She looked around but didn't see anyone. A noise turned her attention to the bathroom. Still holding the box of bandages, the maid knocked on the other door.

There was still no answer.

"Miss Serena?" She opened the door slowly.

The red head was on the floor, back against the wall and tears falling down her cheeks. Mei-Rin put the box down quickly and ran to her lady.

"Oh, my lady. It's okay." Not knowing what to do, she hugged the younger woman. Mei-Rin ran her hand up and down the girl's back, trying to comfort her. "You're safe here in the manor and whatever problem there is, Sebastian can solve it."

Serena cried harder at the demon's name and buried her head in the maid's neck.

"I just want to go home! I only wanted to go out with my friends. It's not fun anymore. I don't want to help on cases. I don't want to be a lady. And I don't want to marry anybody!" Serena hiccuped. "Why? I kept trying to tell myself that this was a dream. So, why can't I wake up?"

The girl's misery brought out a mothering instinct in the former assassin. She rocked the red head slowly while thinking of any way to calm Serena.

"Don't worry now, Miss. The master and Sebastian will figure it out. Just you wait."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: I know everyone is doing some sort of tribute today and I thought of staying silent, but I can't. I still remember being in English when the principal came around and told all the classes to stop and turn on the small TVs that were mounted in the corner of most of the classrooms. The only thing he said was, "New York has been attacked" and then closed the door quietly to go to the next classroom. We all watched in stunned silence as the second plane hit right after our teacher turned on the TV and for the first time, a bunch of high school kids were all a little afraid of the world we wanted to explore. That day cliques, feuds and class division fell away as we left our classrooms to go to the gym and we all huddled together, waiting to find out what we were supposed to do now. We were half a country away from New York, but I swear we could feel the ground shaking. Now, I wonder if that was just all of us realizing that everything was about to change. We would still go to school like we always did, hang out with friends, date, party and try to lie to our parents, but there was a new awareness, maybe of mortality, maybe of the world outside of our own small sphere, I don't know.

In the days, weeks and months after, that little nugget of fear was eclipsed by pride in how we all came together when everything fell apart. When I was a child, 'proud to be an American' was just a saying. I didn't really understand it then, but I did on September 11, 2001. I am still proud to be an American. We have problems, some things don't work like their supposed to and sometimes I swear those in our government don't have the brains that God gave a gnat. I still want to travel and see other countries and cultures, but America will always be home.

To those who died that day and after, from the attacks on New York City and the attempted attack on the Pentagon, you will always be remembered. To everyone who helped, that day through the last fourteen years, I say thank you. You have all instilled in me an unshakable pride of the flag that flies outside my home and the eagle on my passport.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

Chapter Ten

Serena had been wandering the halls of the upper floor for a while when she found the portrait gallery. It was only a single hallway, lined on both sides with portraits in various sizes, but she was fascinated by the people swirling around her. Maybe she shouldn't have asked for the wine before Mei-Rin left for the night.

Or at least, she should have stopped after the first bottle.

She stopped at the end of the hallway, a large window letting in moonlight to illuminate the portraits. There wasn't one of Ciel. The last portrait at the beginning of the hallway was of Vincent and Rachel. She could tell the pieces of each that had contributed to their son. Moving through, she thought she could see a resemblance between all the Earls, maybe in the slim build or dark hair, maybe the lines that made up their faces. The last one by the window gave her the chills. It was as though it was staring at it.

Turning away from the portraits, Serena looked out the window over the gardens. There wasn't much to see with the light dusting of snow covering all the bushes. A large expanse of flat ground ran between the edge of the garden and the woods beyond. Woods that formed around the entire property.

Which way had she come from? She hadn't been able to see at the time and then she had woken up in the manor. This wasn't right. Why was she here? Did anyone notice that she was missing? Her roommate probably thought she hadn't shown at the theater and then would have stayed at her boyfriend's while she was mad. Her mom wouldn't know something was wrong until she didn't come home.

Maybe not even then.

Was staying here so bad? So what if she was really some vegetable on life-support and this was just her brain's last neurons firing before she died? Was it really that bad? The food was great, the room was awesome and her favorite characters were just like she imagined. She could stay here for a while.

Maybe that was what the reapers had been talking about today. That she had made her choice for now. Maybe they were talking about the fact that she just wasn't ready to die yet. And the whole 'mate' thing, what fan wouldn't want to be with that demon? Maybe she should just coast on through.

But, she didn't want to die.

She was about to graduate. She had family and a life and a whole lot of student debt to pay for. What if her brain throwing up being with a demon meant that she was going to hell?

What if it was real? What if she just accepted this craziness and that she had found some rip in reality? Could she stay here?

"There you are."

She jerked back from the window pane at Sebastian's voice and realized how really cold it was next to it. Sebastian moved gracefully down the hallway toward her, the intermittent light casting most of his face in shadow.

"My master was worried about your absence at dinner tonight."

"So he sent you to find me?" She wavered a little as she tried to stand. "Good doggie."

"Have you been drinking?" He stopped close to her and made a production of smelling the air near her. "I wanted to speak to you, preferably sober, about what had happened today."

"You should have been here a while ago," Serena knew that her words slurred a little as she waved the almost empty bottle.

"Come. I will get you back to your room." He offered her a hand, watching her carefully.

The red head brushed past him to walk on her own. She knew he was behind her the entire time, especially when the world shifted sideways and she tripped on the plush carpet that lined the hallway. Sebastian scooped her up and kept going without breaking his stride. She started to push him away but her ribs protested.

Wasn't that a sign that this whole thing was real?

The minute he set her down in her room, Serena shoved away and had to grab the chair from the small set next to the window to keep from falling over.

"Where did you get the wine?" He demanded as he helped her sit.

"Mei-Rin brought it to me. Evidently after my little breakdown earlier, she was more than willing to bring me anything I wanted."

Sebastian took the empty bottle from the table and it disappeared. In its place, he held out a glass of water.

"I will inform Mei-Rin that she is not to serve you alcohol in the future."

"Of course you will."

"At least you are a calm drunk."

"Actually I'm normally a happy drunk. But right now, I'm just numb." She fell back against the chair, using the back to hold her head up. "I'm finally numb."

"What is the problem?" He built up the fire in the hearth.

She watched the flames dance over his face, reflecting in his eyes and shivered. "Is this real? Any of this?"

"Of course. I do not feel like a figment of your imagination."

"Would you, if I was dreaming?"

The demon turned back to the flames, appearing to think about it. "I don't feel like a puppet, if that's what you are asking. All my thoughts appear to be my own. No different than they normally are."

"Then what do you want with me?" She asked as her voice broke. "Couldn't you just find a nice demoness to play house with?"

"A nice demoness? I don't believe such a thing exists. Demons don't become what we are because we're nice." He said the word like it was something funny. "And I want you because you are my mate."

"Will you stop saying that?"

"I say it because it's true."

"No, it's not!" Serena threw the glass at him, way off the mark. "I don't know you and you don't know me. You can't just decide something like that. I don't even know what being your mate means."

"A demon's mate is along the same vein as being their wife, but it goes deeper. Your life

will be tied to mine so that you share my lifespan. Your healing rate will increase and you will stop aging after you are marked. We will be able to feel each others emotions. And I will always

know right where you are."

"That's a little creepy. So, what do you get out of this?"

Sebastian knelt at her side. "A companion. Demons...they are not big on trust. Probably

because none of us were the most upstanding beings when we were human, or else we would

never have been made demons in the first place. We gather together in families, however even

that is at a price for each member. It's...transient. Members are joining to be taught and have

protection while they grow stronger. Elders teach to keep the demons from destroying

themselves and to have those who serve. Humans believe that demons do not feel any emotion

but that's not true. We've been conditioned to hide it. We've learned to bury them. But there is

one that always seems to dig itself out. Loneliness. The longer a demon is alive, the stronger this

feeling gets. A mate is an end to that."

He lifted a hand to her cheek, but Serena pulled away. "Don't."

"Very well." The demon stood and slipped back into the role of butler fluidly. "You

should get some rest, my lady."

Sebastian walked to the bed and turned down the sheets. He blew out all the candles

around the room except the one next to the bed. Coming back to Serena, the demon lifted her

gently and without the fight he had been expecting. As soon as he put her down, Serena turned to

face the other side of the room.

"Good night, my mate."

The red flinched but gave no more acknowledgment of his statement. He pulled the

blankets over her body before taking the candle from the table and leaving the room.

*****************************A Demon's Mate*****************************************

The next morning, Serena was awake when Mei-Rin came to wake her. The redhead was quiet while sitting on the bed. The maid was subdued herself as Sebastian had caught her going up the stairs with the order that Serena was not to be given alcohol again. He had also made sure to inform Mei-Rin that she had made a large mistake in bringing her the wine to begin with.

 _'A guest should be given a glass if they request a nightcap, not an entire two bottles.'_

Mei-Rin pulled the peach dress that Lady Elizabeth had chosen in London from the closet. Thankfully, it was a little looser than the others being pre-made. It left room not to lace the lady's corset as tight as normal. Once it was on, Serena sat at the vanity. She dropped the brush right after picking it up.

"I'm sorry, Mei-Rin."

"My lady?"

"I'm sorry that I lost it yesterday. And I have a feeling that Sebastian already talked to you about the wine."

The maid blushed. "Yes, my lady."

"I thought I told you that you didn't have to call me that." Serena tried to smile at the other woman.

"Sebastian said something about that too."

The girl heaved a heavy sigh. "Alright. The butler gets his way again."

*******************************A Demon's Mate*************************

Serena walked into the dining room with Mei-Rin right behind her. The rest of the house was already there and the maid went to stand with the other servants. Ciel stood when she entered, as usual. Snake stepped forward to hold out her chair, as usual. Sebastian set the plates in front of the two, as usual. Serena wouldn't look at the butler. Unusual.

Ciel watched the red head eat in a detached sort of way. She didn't seem to be there at all. There was no smiles, no attempt at conversation, and no looking at anyone in the room.

"Serena," the earl waited for her to look up at him. "I would like to talk to you in my study after breakfast."

She looked away again and nodded.

"I would like an actual answer."

Serena looked back over, a dangerous gleam in her eyes and a fake smile on her face. "Yes, my lord. I would like that very much."

"Thank you." Ciel answered with his own fake smile.

The servants shifted uneasily at the tension except for Sebastian and Tanaka.

****************************A Demon's Mate***************************

Ciel watched Serena carefully as she sat before him. The red head was back to being quiet and staring at nothing. Whatever he had seen at the breakfast table was long gone.

"What's wrong with you?" The earl leaned back in his seat, tired of whatever drama was going on now.

"I don't know what you mean, my lord."

"Bullshit."

Sebastian and Serena both looked shocked at the profanity coming from the nobleman.

"Sebastian, I want you to go into town and pick up the clothing that Lizzy ordered for Serena. It should be ready now."

"Yes, My Lord." The butler bowed at his new orders and walked out of the room.

"I'm assuming there was something that you wanted to talk about without the demon around."

"Yes." Ciel stood to look out the window and waited to see Sebastian leaving through the gates.

"So..." The earl held up a finger to stop her.

"Just wait." He saw the small rig heading down the driveway. "I've learned that if I want to speak without Sebastian hearing, then I have to make him leave the house."

The teen came back to his desk and sat carefully, still weighing what he was going to say.

"Last night, I sent Sebastian to check on you. Now, you're acting like a ghost."

"Maybe I don't want to be some demon's mate?"

"Maybe you should get over it." Serena felt her own anger spark to life at his comment. "I didn't want to watch my family die at the age of ten, I didn't want to be sold into child slavery, I didn't want to be some sacrifice to a demon and I certainly never wanted to sell my soul to said demon."

Ciel leaned forward on the desk. "But, I did. Nothing is going to change these facts. Just as nothing is going to change the fact that you are Sebastian's mate whether you want to be or not. After seeing that demon yesterday, you should be happy with what you got. You were fine with each other yesterday. I could see how well you got along. You like Sebastian, admit it."

After a moment, she nodded. "I'll think about what you said."

"Good. You should be thankful, many in my world hate who they have to spend their life with." Ciel laid his head on his hand. "Now, do you want to know what the Undertaker said?"

"That would be kinda nice." The sarcasm was thick in her voice.

"That's the attitude I was expecting. He didn't have much to say about you. Just that no one knew why you were pulled here and we should be looking more for someone with that kind of power to find the why of your presence and how to get you back home."

"Someone with the power to move people through time? I can't be just Joe Schmoe off the street. Otherwise, things like this would be happening all the time."

"My thoughts exactly. Unfortunately, the only person that we can ask is never very forthcoming. Add to that the fact that he doesn't want you to go back and it'll be even harder to get information from him." Ciel rubbed his temple as he thought. "We have to ask the right question to get him to talk."

Serena decided they needed to switch gears in the limited time they had. "What else did Undertaker have to say? You were there a little while."

"He wanted to talk about Sebastian. Undertaker told me that he was an Elder and that I had a valuable soul."

"The demon that was holding me called him Elder too. Marcus also seemed very afraid of Sebastian. He had no fear of the reapers, but as soon as Sebastian showed up, he was shaking in his shoes."

"Undertaker said that Sebastian had claimed London as his territory and that other demons had to check in with him before entering his territory."

"Well, there haven't been any of your cases that ended at a demon, so I would assume that he's pretty powerful. London is a perfect playground for demons and he must be keeping them away or at least in check. That would take a lot of power in my estimation."

"True, but Sebastian was just as shocked at your appearance as the rest of us. With that in mind, I think that we can take him from our list of suspects." Ciel tapped his fingers on the desk. "What I don't get is why Undertaker was so willing to talk about Sebastian? Normally, all I can get out of him is specifically what I ask. He could have just told me about the other demon, instead he started out telling me that Sebastian was an Elder and had claimed London. The comment about my soul as well. There has to be a meaning there."

"So, he has to have some kind of motive? We just have to figure out what that is."

"Serena, I want you to talk to Sebastian about his being an Elder and what that means."

"Me?!"

"I have a feeling that you will have an easier time getting information out of that demon."

They were thinking when the sound of horses came up the drive.

"It looks like our time is up." Serena stood to look out the window. She watched the small rig the butler had left in go around to the left side of the house. "Damn, that was quick. He was only gone an hour."

"Yes, he's perfectly aware that I wanted to talk to you without him knowing what we were speaking about. He always does things faster when I order him away from me."

It wasn't long before the butler was knocking on the door. After Ciel gave him permission to enter, Sebastian came in with a tray.

"It is time for morning tea, master."

"Good, we just finished our discussion. I'm sure Serena would like tea."

"Yes, my lord."

The demon noticed that her demeanor was close to normal as he poured the tea.

"What else is on the schedule for today?"

"You have a dancing lesson with Mrs. Bright this afternoon, my lord." Sebastian set the earl's cup of tea down first, followed by Serena's. A tray of snacks was set on the desktop between them.

"Cancel it. I have more important things to focus on then dancing."

"Master, are you forgetting the ball at the Marquis of Arden's home tomorrow night?"

"I don't see why I have to go anymore. I was harassed into going by Lizzy." Ciel set his cup down with a small pout. The red head stopped herself from laughing.

"Did you already send a reply that you would go?" Serena took a sip from her cup.

"Yes."

"Then you have to go. You can't just not show after you said that you would be there."

"Fine."

"If master does not wish for Mrs. Bright, perhaps Serena can help." Sebastian glanced at his mate to see her wince.

"Oh, that's not a good idea. Dancing is not really my thing."

"Not your thing?"  
"I'm worse than he is." She looked away slightly embarrassed.

"I find that hard to believe." Sebastian caught the earl's glare with a smirk of his own.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: In this chapter, I wanted Serena and Ciel to have a 'bonding experience' if you will. I ended up thinking that it was rather sad.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twelve

The garden offered a perfect hiding place when the dance instructor arrived. Sebastian had continued to make little comments about Serena joining the earl's lesson during lunch and it had finally driven her from the house. Now, the red head looked out over winter's barren landscape.

The trees were bare of leaves and the flower beds had already been covered in preparation for the first snowfall that had yet to happen. The only blooms to be found were the hardy, winter roses from Germany. When the clouds let loose the flakes they were holding, the blossoms would look like fresh blood on the pristine backdrop.

 _'I suppose the greenhouse would have been a more appropriate place to hide out, but I run a greater risk of being found there. No one would believe that I would be freezing my butt off in an empty garden.'_

There was a large gate just past the rose bushes and Serena's curiosity got the best of her. The latch opened easily and the hinges didn't make a sound. _'Well maintained, like everything else in this house. Can't there be one thing here that isn't perfect?'_

Inside she found the same covered bushes and bare, ornamental trees. The cozy corner made it's occupant relax even without the blooms and greenery. A sound from the bushes made Serena jump, her heart pounding in fear.

 _'Oh, get a hold of yourself. Do you honestly still believe in the 'bush monster?''_

A black cat with white on it's chest and paws padded out from under the bush that had rustled and sat in the middle of the walking path. Serena took off her gloves as she walked up the path.

"So, it's just you scaring the crap out of me, huh?" The red head smiled as she knelt to let the feline sniff her fingers. The cat must have decided that she was alright as it rubbed against her fingers.

 _'I wonder if the cat obsession is true too?'_ As her fingers stroked the animal's neck she felt something. Picking it up from the sleek fur, Serena saw a necklace with a small, blood red jewel.

"A ruby necklace? Of course he wouldn't just give you a collar."

"Collars and chains are for dogs."

Serena looked up from the jewelry to see Sebastian standing at the gate. A small bowl rested in his gloved hands. The demon wore no extra clothing, but didn't flinch at the bite from the chill wind that had her huddling farther into her cloak.

"I see you found my little secret."

"Trust me, it's not much of a secret. Whoever writes Kuroshitsuji knows all about it."

The demon blinked in surprise that one of his weaknesses was so well known, but recovered quickly. He came forward and set the bowl down. Serena watched as the cat quickly abandoned her for the butler and his offering.

"What's his name?"

"Her, and she hasn't told me yet."

"You talk to animals?" Her voice gave away her disbelief.

"It's more of an impression than an actual conversation. Still, cats are the only animals that I have met in my long life that can completely hide their intentions. I can never really tell what they are going to do next."

"I always thought it was them being capricious more than hiding."

"Perhaps that's it. Or maybe, that's what they want you to think."

Serena laughed.

"It's good that speaking with my master has brought your levity back. Although, I do wonder what you were talking about."

"We were talking about you, of course." She smiled. "Why else would he ask you to leave?"  
"I thought so. If you wanted to know about me, I would be a more reliable source," Sebastian said as he stood from the cat.

"But would you tell me what I wanted to know?" She narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

"What is it that you want to know?"

"What's your name?"

"Sebastian Michaelis."

Serena threw her hands up. "See?"

"You cannot get that answer from Lord Phantomhive either."

"I never said that's what we were talking about." She saw a flash of irritation in his eyes and smiled. "Not so fun, is it?"

"No, I suppose it is not." Sebastian thought for a moment. "You ran out of my master's dancing lesson."

"Well, that was an abrupt change of topic. Did you realize you were losing that argument?"

"I admit nothing."

She laughed. "Yeah, public humiliation has never really been a big priority for me. Whether it was watching or being the one watched."

"Dance skills are rather important in this era."

"I doubt that I'll be going to many balls and things like that."

"Master does plan on you being involved with his cases since you already know the truth about his position and our contract. Dancing may be needed." He held out a hand to the red head. "There is no one here now."

 _'You need to get over it. Most people in the world hate who they must spend their lives with.'_

Serena stared that the gloved hand before taking it with a sigh. The demon wasted no time in pulling her into him.

 _'How often do you get to take dance lessons from a demon? I'm not giving in to anything. I'm just taking advantage of a unique situation...Right?'_

"Now then, a waltz is always essential to know in any society. Just follow me."

She started out shaky, not knowing where to move. Serena laughed nervously every time she fell over her own feet and against the black clad body. Soon, the steps repeated themselves and the red head could see their pattern. When her mind was no longer occupied by her feet, she could notice how easy it was to be with Sebastian, moving with him, and the bubbly feeling in her chest.

 _'I could see the connection between you. You like Sebastian, admit it.'_

"You're thinking awfully hard about something." Sebastian's smooth voice interrupted her thoughts and she lost her place in the steps.

She bit her bottom lip as he guided her back into the sequence. "What does being a mate mean to you?"

"I did not think the concept was that hard to grasp."

"I know the concept can mean different things to different people."

"My mate is aware. That is good."

"I'm aware that you are dodging the question." Her gaze moved to the cat, watching them patiently from her place by the bowl. She seemed to be interested in what the demon and human were doing in her little corner.

A smirk played across his lips. "My mate is a soul that was created for me. Some demons believe that mates were introduced for the purpose of taming them. A way to calm the damned down a bit."

"What do you mean?" Her voice was a little suspicious, as if the red head knew that she wouldn't like Sebastian's answer.

"A demon's mate is to be protected above all others, even themselves. Their every command is obeyed without question. Their every wish granted. A mate rules their demon."

 _'Yup, knew I wasn't going to like it.'_

"Why are you so adamant about going through with this? It sounds like slavery to me. Is not being lonely really worth that?"

"You do remember our conversation from last night I had wondered." He led her through another turn. "Many demons are happy to feel the chains."

Serena stopped and pulled away so she could see his face. "Are you?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Sebastian!"

Both looked up to the second floor. One of the windows was open and releasing billows of smoke and the voice of Meirin became more and more frantic. Bardroy's soon joined it.

 _'Is that all that happens here? Do they really blow things up daily?'_

The butler turned back to Serena with a smile promising pain to someone. "If you will excuse me, my lady. I'm afraid that our conversation will have to be postponed."

Serena laughed to herself as the demon hurried away. Shaking her head, she felt something brush her skirt and saw the cat. The red head leaned down to pick up the feline. Both listened to the servants yelling for Sebastian and the butler demanding them to explain what they had done now.

"I want to know too." She put the cat back down and started for the house.

In the hall, she saw Bard racing up the stairs with a bucket of water in his hand and his goggles down over his eyes. A brilliant smile lit the former soldier's face and told her that whatever was going on, it obviously wasn't too bad.

 _'I almost wonder if he blows stuff up on purpose. He certainly seems to enjoy it.'_

Serena followed behind the chef down the hall that led toward the guest rooms. The entire household stood outside one of the unoccupied bedrooms. Smoke was still wafting into the hall as Bard threw his bucket's contents on something that was smoldering just inside the door. She recognized that the object was a former wing back chair but couldn't tell what the covering had once been.

 _'It looks like someone poured melted candle wax all over it.'_

"Mei-Rin, I would still like to know how this happened." Sebastian just stared at the maid with that creepy smile on his face. The Earl stood next to the chair, touching the grooves.

"There was a mark on the chair and the regular cleaner wasn't working to get it out. So, I tried the bleach on it."

"Bleach melted the leather?" Ciel poked the ruined seat.

"Bleach is highly corrosive. If there had still been some of the other cleaner still on the surface, they probably reacted and became...I guess volatile would be the word I'm looking for." Serena put her hand over her nose. "It's probably a really bad idea to breathe the fumes."

Ciel had started to cough as well as Snake. The footman's favored pets had slid inside his uniform already to escape the smell. Sebastian quickly shut the door to the room and picked up the chair. As he took it down the hall, Serena started to cough as well.

"I think we need to leave here." She grabbed Ciel and pulled him down the hall. There was a door that she had seen Mei-Rin go into before. "Where does that go?"

"It goes down the servant's stairs to the kitchens."

"That'll work."

Once down the stairs, they could finally take a deep breath without choking. Ciel and Serena slowed and let the servants lead the way through their part of the house. Bard led them to another door that opened under the grand staircase.

"Here we are, master." He smiled as he held the door for the earl and Serena. As soon as they stepped out, both smelled the fumes again and ducked back into the servant's hall. "Perhaps you should wait until we air the house out."

The soldier pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around his nose and mouth. Mei-Rin followed his example as Finny borrowed Snake's. There was no way that the footman, with his heightened senses, could go out into the chemical fumes. And Tanaka's age stopped him from going.

"Master," Tanaka waited for them to look his way. "I know it's inappropriate, but allow me to guide you to the servant's parlor until the house is cleared out."

Ciel waved the man on and followed with the others close behind. Serena was surprised by the spacious and well decorated room that was for the servants' use. There were two large chairs that flanked the fireplace with a conversation couch between them. A small table by the bank of windows had a pack of cards on it next to a crystal vase filled with the winter roses. The wall that the door was set in also held bookcases that were filled.

 _'I thought the servant's part of the house was supposed to be utilitarian. I could easily see the earl entertaining guests in this room. Other than the fact that you have to go through back part of the house to get here.'_

Tanaka bowed to Lord Phantomhive. "I will prepare tea and check on the house clearing."

Ciel sat in one of the chairs with a nod. "Very well."

The former butler took Snake with him, leaving the two alone.

Serena sat on the couch, still staring at the room.

"Is there something wrong?" He coughed lightly again.

"I just...I thought...where did this room come from?" Serena picked up the book that was on the end table next to the couch. "Hamlet? Who was reading Hamlet?"

"Perhaps Snake." The nobleman leaned back in the chair. "This parlor is for the senior servants. I suppose that it could also be Tanaka that is currently reading that. I can't imagine any of the others, except maybe Sebastian, that would be reading Shakespeare."

 _'A demon reading Shakespeare's classic work? Really?'_ She looked at the book again before setting it down.

"You don't seemed to be bothered by all this."

"I suppose I've grown used to these sort of things." Ciel sighed. "Although, there is normally a week in between explosions. They must be showing off for you."

His annoyance was plain, but it was also clear that the Earl planned to do nothing to reprimand the servants.

"That's right, my lord. Push the rage down." She reached over and poked him in the stomach. "It'll make a nice ulcer someday."

He glared at her before looking again to the fire.

Sensing that the Earl wasn't in the mood for conversation, the red head got up and looked around the room again. _'The cards look well used. It's got to be Bard.'_

On the shelves she noticed a small section of books on birds and another of what looked like romance novels. In both shelves were books that looked like they had read several times. She laughed, knowing exactly who was reading those. It was a black book on an upper shelf that caught her attention next. All the books on the shelf looked to be brand new. These were obviously just filler, not the well-loved tomes on the other shelves. She pulled it down and laughed uncontrollably.

"What is it now?" Ciel stood and walked over to the red head. She couldn't speak and just held the book out.

 _'Goethe's Faust.'_

"I still don't see what is so funny."

"It's just that it's new. All of these are new. No one has read it. If they did...if they did..." Serena put a hand to her injured rib that was killing her, but she still couldn't stop. "It's right in front of them every day. And then they come in here every night, and it's right there."

The door opened to let Sebastian and Tanaka enter with a tea cart. Serena put the book back on the shelf and the two came back to their seats. She smelled Ciel's favorite Earl Grey as Tanaka handed her a cup. She saw the demon look to the book she had returned to the shelf and the small smirk that came over his face.

"Is the house aired out yet?"

"I'm sorry, master. There are still dangerous fumes on the upper level. We are expecting to have it fully cleared in another hour at the most." Sebastian offered a tray of snacks.

"Then why are you here?" The Earl took a sip from his cup while looking at his butler.

"I will of course rejoin the others." He bowed with Tanaka before both butlers left the room. Serena's gaze returned to the book as she took a bite of a chocolate petite four. A strange feeling started in her chest.

 _'Do I not want him to go?'_

"See, I told you that you liked him." Ciel smiled smugly as he looked at her over the rim of his tea cup.

"I do not!"

"You're lying." He sighed. "I don't see why you bother. There are things in the world that you have no control over how they happen, only how you react. You're acting like a child. Thinking that you can bury your head in the sand and this will pass you over. It's better to face your fate than to run uselessly. It will catch up to you. Always."

"Is that why you made the contract with Sebastian?"

"No. I would have died that night if I didn't."

"Is it better, to live and have revenge than to die and move on? Is it better to lose everything?"

"I already had lost everything." The Earl stared into the fireplace. "I don't delude myself that I gained anything back. The manor may be here, but it's not what I lost. Even a demon cannot bring back my family, the life I might have led, the innocent child I once was. Should I have laid down and let them kill me? At least this way, the people who did this to me will pay. Maybe not today, maybe not next week or even next year. But I will get them eventually. Sebastian will give me that. And then I can finally rest."

"Would you tell me? What really happened the night you made your contract?"

"You want to know about the night I was supposed to die? Didn't one of those ridiculous books tell you that?"

"I want to know how you saw it."

Ciel stared at her for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I don't see how it could hurt. After my parents had been murdered, one of the footmen had taken me from the burning house, but they were waiting outside. He didn't stand a chance, there were too many of them. Whoever had ordered the attack had also ordered that if I survived, I was to be taken and sold. The house of Phantomhive crushed and they would see a profit from it. It is not unheard of for the younger children of lesser nobles to disappear. They're normally shipped out of the country in a matter of hours and sold to the highest bidder wherever they land. But, there was a nobleman who was willing to pay an obscene amount for me. Unfortunately for me, I had always been a pretty child."

Serena choked on her tea as he nodded to the assumption that he could read in her eyes.

"I wouldn't be the perfect doll that he wanted. After several unsuccessful escape attempts and the ensuing whippings, he decided I was too much trouble. And with the scars that would undoubtedly form, I wasn't so pretty anymore. There was a group, a secret society if you will, that he belonged to. They were looking for children to use as sacrifices to call a demon to serve them. They branded my body and threw me into an animal's cage. I lived for another week in that cage. The other children that they had gathered were already broken beyond repair. All of them, except one. A little girl named Joanna. She still wanted to fight, but I admit, I was already tired. I wasn't far from the void in which the others lived. I remembered those disgusting people, chatting and watching like they were at a ball and not watching children being killed for their amusement. We huddled together in that cage, watching as one by one, the other children were taken to the alter and killed. Their blood ran in rivers down the stone and across the floor. I saw Joanna's desire to live when they started on our cage. She kept pushing me further and further back. I can still feel the bars digging into my raw skin." Ciel shivered and Serena wondered if he was there with her or back in that cage.

"Finally, there were only three of us. She kicked the other boy forward to give us more time. It made me ashamed. I had been taught that women and children were to be protected and instead I was hiding behind her. When they came back, I started forward, but Joanna pushed me back again and they took her instead. She fought them every step of the way. They had needed four people to hold her down. When they tossed her body aside, I realized that they had taken the last thing, the last comfort that I had, the last person that I cared for, from me. A deep rage burned from inside me. When I started to scream, I was shocked that there was nothing that came out but sound. Then the candles blew out and the air became as cold as ice."

Serena leaned forward totally engrossed in the tale.

"I heard something sharp hitting the stones of the floor. One by one, the lights came back and there he was, standing in the doorway. I was terrified and excited at the same time. If it had been Joanna that finally called him, than wouldn't he kill her murderers? The demon walked down the steps that led to the alter and cages. He kept looking at each of them and I heard him say something about who called him. The nobles threw themselves at him, demanding that indulge their petty, grasping ambitions. Each one that came, he pushed them away. When he got to the bottom of the steps, he saw the markings on the floor. He said something about stupid humans. The next that came, he reached into their chest. What he pulled back was something that I had never seen. It was small and glowing, but swirling with black. The demon stared at it and declared that the soul was utterly pathetic. Looking back over the crowd, he stated that they were all pathetic. Still, he popped it in his mouth like a bonbon."

 _'Waste not, want not.'_

"A woman screamed that they had made no deal and he told her that in killing the innocent to call him, their souls were already forfeit. There would be no heaven or hell for any of them, only the bottomless abyss of his stomach. The symbol on the ground was not to call but to give. I watched as he killed them all, swallowing every soul that he pulled from their bodies. When he came back down to the cages, the demon said that I was the one who called him. My rage had made my soul a beacon in the pitch black that called to any corrupt being."

 _'However, I have never made a contract with a child and I'm not really in a hurry to do so. Despite being a demon, I do have my own set of standards. They're all dead now, the price for my coming is already paid. I could simply leave you here. Whether you live or die is up to you.' The demon turned away, but the boy grabbed the back of his coat._

 _'Wait, it's not them. They're not the ones who killed my family, who took everything from me.'_

 _'Oh,' the demon laughed and the sound slithered down his spine. 'Are you sure about this? Once a contract is formed, it can never be broken. I will swallow your soul just as I did theirs in the end. There will be no heaven or hell for you either.'_

 _'I've already seen both.' Memories of his parents, his family, Lizzy crossed through his mind followed by the weeks of abuse and torture._

 _'You're really not going to let this go, are you?' The demon turned back. 'I'll ask once more, will you give up your very soul to achieve the revenge you desire?'_

 _'Yes.'_

"I knew that I would never live long on my own. Once the news that I lived and had returned to be the head of Phantomhive spread, the same people who killed my predecessor would be back. I needed the strength that I had seen. The strength that he had. I needed it and had what he wanted to bargain with. Once our contract was made, I ordered Sebastian to burn the house and all of those in it. Those disgusting people didn't deserve a proper burial, and the children that were left deserved the peace of death. It was strange to think of it this way, but I thought that if there was nothing left of their bodies, those children would still have the dignity of no one knowing what had done to them. Sebastian had styled his human form as a servant and I named him after my faithful dog. And that is all there is to tell."

"My lord..."

He scoffed. "After hearing all that, I see no reason to keep up the pretense of titles."

"Ciel."

"Don't. I do not want nor need your pity. I chose this path freely and have no more regrets about it than the day I made the contract with Sebastian. And as long as he fulfills our bargain, I will have no regrets the day he takes my soul either."

"Is that really true?"

The Earl turned sharply to stare at the red head and her soft smile.

*********************************A Demon's Mate****************************

Sebastian left the Earl's rooms after preparing the teen for bed. His master had been awfully quiet all evening and through their nighttime ritual. The demon knew that there was something on his mind but the boy had shown no sign of telling his servant. His last check of the house went by without incident. The servants had already left the kitchens to seek their own beds after the eventful day.

At her door, he didn't bother to knock. Inside, he found the sheets turned down, the fire built up, and her nightgown still laying on the bottom of the bed. The butler sighed at Mei-Rin's ineptitude.

 _'Honestly, are her marksmen skills really that valuable?'_ He noticed the door to the bathroom closed and smelled bath soap.

Opening the door he saw Serena laying in the bathtub. The red head lifted her wineglass in acknowledgment of his presence and put her book down.

"Look, I made my own bubble bath." She splashed the water slightly.

His eyes narrowed. "Are you drunk again?"

"No. I think that getting drunk two nights in a row is a bit much."

"I only ask because you have made no move to cover yourself."

"I'm sure that you have never seen a naked woman before. I must have scarred you for life." She shook her head. "Besides, the bubbles are covering everything."

"I thought I had already told Mei-Rin that you were not to have alcohol."

"You did. That's why I went and got it myself." She smiled at him.

"The wine cellar is kept locked."

Serena leaned forward and put down the glass on the small table that she had pulled into the room. She picked up a small object and held it up. "And the key was in the kitchen."

Sebastian held out his hand and she happily handed it over.

"Why are you so adverse to alcohol anyway?"

"I am not adverse to alcohol. I simply do not like my mate drinking it. Alcohol does cause damage to the human body." He took the glass from her table and dumped it down the sink.

She stared at the window, thinking. "Actually, I normally don't drink. Being in this madhouse must be the reason for that."

"You're using it as a crutch because you do not wish to deal with the stress you are currently feeling."

"Not really. Okay, last night, yes. But tonight, I had realized that I have never laid in a massive tub of hot water while drinking a glass of wine with a book. After talking to Ciel, I figured that I should just go for it. You know, do the things that you always wanted to do." She sighed. "I think I've gotten used to you. Kind of like the stages of grief. For some reason, I seem to be moving through them rather quick. Which is weird."

"It's the bond. Your soul knows that it is supposed to be with me." Sebastian knelt next to the tub. "Now, your mind is racing to catch up."

"That's a little too deep to be relaxing."

"In other words...you would like to change the subject." He picked up a curl that had escaped from her bun. She pushed his hand away.

"What did you and the young master speak of today? He's been curiously withdrawn since you two were alone in the servant's parlor."

"I asked him about the night he made his contract with you. I guess he's thinking about the past." She looked over at the demon. "You tried to not make a contract with him at all."

"I wasn't all that excited about serving a child. They are normally rather hard to handle."

"Is that the only reason?"

Sebastian stood and went to the cupboard to pull out towels.

"Why did Mei-Rin leave before preparing you for bed?"

She laughed at his refusal to answer. "I told her too. I wasn't born into this, Sebastian. It's hard for me to relax with someone standing over me."

"You didn't even let her wash your hair." He gestured to the configuration she had used to pull her hair on top of her head to keep it out of the water.

"I figured I could handle that. I'm a big girl, can put on my own undies and everything."

"I would help you if you like."

The red head stared at him for a moment. "I am so not in the mood. If you're thinking that you're going to get somewhere, you are very wrong."

"Of course. It is a simple offer to help. I am very good at bathing another person. You can ask my master if you wish for a reference." He bowed.

"Is that even right? Are nobles really so helpless that they can't even bathe themselves?"

"It is not that they cannot, it is simply that they do not feel that they should."

"Well, aren't they some kind of arrogant." She shifted to make sure that everything was covered.

"Even if they did not have a servant bathe them, I would do it anyway. Demons serve completely and we are very protective of our contracts. I would never leave any aspect of my master's care to another." Sebastian took off his coat and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

"Is that really all he is to you? Just another contract?" Serena watched him carefully. "Be honest."

"I will admit that Ciel Phantomhive is a rare human. He knows that one day I will take his soul, however he has no fear of me. He has no qualms about using me to do whatever he wishes. Even strong souls will ask if a demon will do certain things, but my master simply expects it. We seem to almost be in a constant game with each other. Who can get the other to submit first. However, he never orders me to do something demeaning as many have, simply to reassure themselves that they have the upper hand in this game." He smirked. "I do not have much respect for humans as they are my food, however I will admit respect for Ciel Phantomhive. If our contract had not been made, but he had still lived, I believe that he would have made a good demon. His way of thinking is very close to my own. I think that I will miss our game when our contract is over."

"You could just let him go, see him again in another life."

"There is no guarantee that I would find his soul again. And as wrong as it may seem to you, I need to eat Serena."

A small tear fell into the water. "I know it sounds stupid, I only met Ciel a few days ago, but I'll miss him."

"Perhaps, you should think about it from his point of view. I am not unaware that I have become important to my master, for whatever reason. When I take his soul, he'll stay with me forever." Sebastian tapped his chest.

"It's because you're the only thing that he has left." Sebastian looked surprised. "Children are defined by the things that are theirs. Their home, their family, even their toys. Ciel had all of that taken from him. He lost his sense of self, being a spoiled noble that was sold into slavery, and then to be a sacrifice. It was ripped away from him. You cannot die, you cannot leave, and you cannot betray him. You are the only thing that he has left that cannot be taken from him by anyone."

"I believe that you are right." The demon knelt behind Serena and started to remove the pins from her hair. "One moment."

She sighed and wished that Sebastian hadn't taken the glass away. He was back quickly with the brush from her vanity. It didn't take long to realize that he hadn't been lying about his skills. When others had tried to brush her hair, they always got caught on snags and ended with a headache on her end. Instead, the brush moved easily through the strands. If it stopped on a tangle, he carefully worked on her hair until the brush moved freely again.

"Lean your head back." He looked to the book she had laid on the table. "Faust is a strange book to relax with."

"When I found it earlier, it seemed rather interesting considering my current situation."

"You know that is mostly false. It is merely a tale that was passed down through the centuries and changed with each telling."

"So, there is some basis of truth in it?" She looked over her shoulder.

"Perhaps a small grain."

Serena relaxed even farther as the hot water was poured over her head. Fingers squeezed the excess from her hair before massaging the soap that she had picked the other day into her scalp. A small moan escaped.

"I would give you a reference anytime."

Sebastian laughed as he ran his hands over her hair again, trying to prolong the moment. He heard her heart rate slow further and realized she was close to falling asleep. A soft yawn came from his mate.

"I think we will talk more tomorrow. You are very tired." He rinsed her hair quickly and wrapped the length in a towel. Sebastian picked up the other towel on the stand and held it open.

Serena shook her head with a smirk. "I don't think so. Could you bring my nightgown in?"

"Of course."

When he came back, she was already out of the tub and wrapped in the towel. The demon laid his mate's nightwear on the table and left the room again. Moments later, Serena came out of the bathroom rubbing her hair with the towel to see him standing with her hairbrush next to an ottoman that he moved in front of the fire.

"What are you up to now?" She put a hand on hip.

"You cannot go to sleep with wet hair. You will become ill." He answered with a smirk of his own.

"Alright, alright." She took a seat on the ottoman with her back to Sebastian. "I really don't want to get sick in a time period with little to no medicine, but I am really tired."

"It won't take long, my mate."

"Can you not call me that?"

"It is what you are." He leaned over the red head so he could see her face.

"Why don't we start with Serena?"

"Very well, Serena." Her name slid off his tongue smoothly, causing her to shiver at his tone.

 _'Maybe the other was better than him calling my by name. There should be a law against that tone.'_


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: The last chapter says twelve, but it is eleven. I promise.

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twelve

The next day at breakfast, Ciel was still quiet and had a hard time looking at Serena after their little talk last night. Following the stilted meal, Ciel had ensconced himself in his office as a new stack of papers had come for the opening of another factory. The Earl wasn't simply the owner of Funtom, he was involved in every step of the process. There wasn't a single product that didn't come through the Phantomhive house first and not a single sweet that Ciel didn't try first. Serena had been shocked to learn that the confections had all come from Sebastian's recipes.

 _'Although I don't know why I was surprised. That is one demon who knows how to cook. I think I've gained a couple pounds in just a few days. Definitely have to start watching all the rich food. Although, maybe it's muscle from having to wear these ridiculously heavy dresses. Honestly, the women from this time must be the beginning of professional weight lifters.'_

The red head was bored and curious. She had taken to exploring the mansion's various rooms as a diversion. She had found really nothing that peaked her interest other than the music room. Although, she had a love of music, not being able to play any of the instruments the girl had moved on. The billiards room held nothing that caught her attention as she no one to play with and she finally made it back to the mansion's central library. The books were nothing that she hadn't looked through before, but she still pulled a few down and set them on the small table by the window.

There was another that caught her interest on a higher shelf. Stretching to reach, Serena still wasn't tall enough. She stopped to think for a minute and came to one conclusion.

 _'Well, I guess that's the only option. The shelves are solid wood and look like their set into the wall.'_

Pulling up her skirt, she started to scale the first couple of shelves. Her finger was on the book when the slick soles shoes that she was forced to wear slipped on the oiled wood. She tried to grab another shelf but slipped from that one too. The girl braced herself expecting to feel the floor when she was caught.

"Honestly, I can't leave you alone at all." Sebastian smirked down at her. "I thought Mei-Rin was the one who foolishly tried to scale things."

"Well, if you didn't put the good stuff on a high shelf, neither of us would do it." She waited. "You can put me down now."

"As you wish."

Serena brushed her skirt and rearranged the dress after her fall. The butler reached past her and easily pulled down the book she had wanted.

"Thank you." She smiled up at him. "So, I'm assuming you didn't come here just to help me get a book."

"No. The young master has a meeting to attend before the ball tonight and we will be departing for London shortly."

"Alright! Something to do." Serena put the book back on a lower shelf with a smile. It faded when she saw the butler still standing there. "I'm not going."

"No, Serena. Master has decided that you will remain here. We will return tomorrow morning."

"I could stay at the London house. He wouldn't even know that I was there." She looked hopefully at Sebastian but the demon didn't say anything.

"Fine. I'll stay here." She huffed and took her book back.

"Thank you." Sebastian smiled and leaned into her. He put a hand against the bookshelf she had backed into to cut off her escape route. "Would I get a kiss from my mate before I leave?"

"Whoa!" She put a hand against his mouth. "That is not going to happen."

"Very well." Serena felt him smirk against her palm and he pulled away. "I thought that we had made progress last night."

As soon as he had left the room, she sighed in relief. "What have I gotten myself into?"

****************************A Demon's Mate*******************************

Serena tossed the book to the table and leaned her head against the back of the chair. A sound caught her attention and she looked to the window. The place she had chosen to sit overlooked the corner of the garden that housed Sebastian's cat and the feline was hissing at something she couldn't see. The red head jumped up with a smile. Something to do. Running to her room, she threw on her cloak and headed for the garden.

The cat was all puffed out and spitting at something under one of the bushes.

"Calm down." She went to the bush and leaned down to see a small white kitten. "This is what all the fuss is about?"

Her hand reached out to the kitten, but he backed away.

"I bet you're hungry." She turned back to the older. "Sebastian already fed you, didn't he? Oh well, I guess being fed twice won't hurt you any. I'll be right back."

Bard was surprised to see Serena walk into the kitchen, blinking at her for a moment. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, I'm just looking for something to feed the cat outside." She walked over to the icebox but was stopped by the chef.

"Sebastian keeps that over here." He reached in and pulled out a wrapped package. He held it up with a smile. "Here it is."

She laughed as he pulled a bowl down and started chopping the meat. "Sebastian always saves some of the meat every night that we're not supposed to touch. We all know that it is for the cats in the garden. They'd head to the stables to look for mice if they weren't being fed by someone."

"The stables? That reminds me I should probably get some hay to make a little bed. It's far too cold for a kitten."

"A kitten?"

"Yeah, he somehow found his way in through the gate."

He put the scraps in the bowl and handed it to Serena. "I'll tell Finny to grab some from the stables. He'll bring it to the garden."

"Oh, that's alright..." She saw his shoulders slump a little. "Thank you, I'll find a spot for it while I'm waiting."

As soon as she left the room, the girl heard Bard yell out the servant's door for Finny. She giggled at the excitement.

 _'No wonder they keep getting into trouble. They're just as bored as I am.'_

Back outside, there hadn't been much progress with the felines. Sebastian's had finally stopped hissing and was now sitting staring at the smaller. She took some of the pieces and tossed them by the bush before setting the bowl down. It took a few moments for the kitten to come out. After eating the few pieces, his nose sniffed the air for more.

Serena sat next to the bowl and stroked the black cat while she ate. She watched as the kitten took small steps toward the bowl. When the other didn't poker back up, he took small bites from the chopped meat. She reached out a hand but he backed away again.

"It's alright."

 _'Is that what I look like? I take small steps but still in the direction that he wants. How long will I still shy away? How long can I? And how long do I have before he pushes me?'_

A flake of white landed on her nose and Serena looked up to see more falling from the gray sky. Putting out a hand, she caught a few of the small flakes that melted as soon as they touched her skin.

 _'December. It's strange, I've only been here a few days and it's snowing. When I left Tokyo it was June and warm.'_

Footsteps preceded Finny opening the garden gate. Both cats took off as soon as the blond stepped inside carrying a whole bale of hay.

 _'Well, that's not what I had in mind. Definitely more than I needed. He's just as eager to please as the others.'_

"I got the hay, Miss Serena!"

"Thank you, Finny." She stood and brushed her skirt off. An idea struck while looking at the large bale. "You know, I only need a little. We could use the rest by putting a thin layer at the bottom of the trees and shrubs. It will help insulate the roots from the snow."

The young man's hand shot up. "I'll do it."

 _'Maybe if I can find a way to keep them all busy, the manor will survive until tomorrow?'_

"I'll leave it to you then." Serena smiled and grabbed some of the hay for herself. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she fashioned the pieces into a bed under the largest bush in the garden. The gardener was certainly enthusiastic spreading the covering over the plants' bases.

She stood and brushed off her skirt. "I'm going to head inside. I'll have Bard make up some hot cider for when you're done."

Finny stood quickly and saluted. "Yes, my lady."

"Come inside if it gets too cold or if the snow gets too heavy. It wouldn't be good to get sick."

"Can do!" He sang as he went back to his task.

Serena shook her head as she went back into the house. The main hall was bleak in the late afternoon winter light. She stood silent and looked over the large space with a critical eye. Everything was perfect, too perfect. Another idea formed in her head as she heard more footsteps.

 _'December. Mid December.'_

"My lady," Mei-Rin stepped in front of her. "Is there something that you needed?"

"Mei-Rin, I think we should decorate the house for Christmas."

"This house hasn't celebrated the Christmas season since the current Lord Phantomhive became the family head." Tanaka came out from the servant's stairs with a disapproving look.

 _'Well, if you're contracted to a demon, celebrating the birth of Christ probably doesn't occur to you.'_

"I never said we were going to celebrate. We're going to decorate. Winter decorating if you will."

"I believe that Lord Phantomhive may become upset if you decorate the manor."

She shrugged. "Then he shouldn't have left me here by myself, now should he?"

"No, my lady." The former butler sighed in defeat as Serena clapped her hands and the other four servants came running.

"Everyone, we're redecorating."

"Are we going to have to pull the things Lady Elizabeth left back out?" Bard whispered to Tanaka.

"Hell no! Stay away from that stuff." Serena pointed at the chef. "We need greenery and red bows. You know, winter things."

Finny smiled brilliantly. "I'll go get the greenery."

"Take Bard with you." She thought for a minute. "Mei-Rin, is there garland in the store rooms?"

"There is Miss, I'll get it."

"Tanaka, could you help her?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Snake, I'm assuming that you know the greenhouse very well?"

The footman started and looked confused. "Yes."

"Good, we'll go look at the flowers that are available. Everyone, bring what you find back here and leave it in the center of the hall. We'll decide what we are going to do once we have a stock of what is available."

"Yes, my lady!"

The servants scattered in a hurry with Tanaka following more slowly. He was still shaking his head as he followed the maid.

*************************A Demon's Mate****************************

Ciel allowed Sebastian to slide the dark blue frock coat with gold piping over his thin shoulders without complaint. The butler smoothed out imaginary wrinkles from the outfit with his normal smile in place. Black gloves were pulled over long and slender fingers, followed by his family rings. Just like usual, the demon had choose the best armor for the noble's gathering. He looked perfect, the perfectly untouchable and cold Earl of Phantomhive was reflected in the floor length mirror.

Serena's voice echoed through his mind. _'At least try to have a little fun, Ciel.'_

 _'Fun. This isn't playtime.'_

 _'Ciel, you are unfortunately the stuff that society girls dream of. You're rich, titled, cold and mysterious. And with the fight with Elizabeth, you're arriving alone. Have a little fun with it.'_

 _'What is that supposed to mean?'_

 _'Dance with as many as you can, only once. Get their parents hopes up, and then head out.'_

 _'I can't believe that you're saying that.'_

 _'Yeah well,' she scratched her cheek. 'While I was in London with Lizzy I met a couple of the nobles and then Edward the other day. They pissed me off a little with their whole doing nothing but looking down on other people.'_

 _'I am a noble.'_

 _'True, but you haven't upset me that bad yet. Besides, you don't spend all day doing nothing and then think you're better than everyone else. At least you do something with yourself.' She smiled as she walked out to the waiting carriage with him. After he had settled into the seat, Serena waved them off. 'Remember, have fun.'_

"Let's get this over with." Ciel waited for his servant to open the door before sweeping out of the room and down the staircase. Outside, Sebastian opened the carriage door for his lord so he walked fluidly into the vehicle without stopping. The drive was uneventful, the Earl's thoughts more focused on the red head back at his home.

 _'I can't believe that I told her all that last night. Why her? Shouldn't I be telling Elizabeth that story if I was going to tell anyone?'_ He groaned. _'Elizabeth. I still haven't talked to her at all since the argument with Edward. I hope she doesn't make a scene here. That's all I need is the nobles watching for all the latest gossip.'_

When the carriage stopped in front of the large townhouse belonging to the Marquess of Arden, Ciel forced all other thoughts to leave his mind. Thankfully, Soma and Agni were currently on a tour of Brighton or else he would have been forced to bring them. They were a distraction that he didn't have time for. He needed to be on guard. Even at fifteen, he lived in a world of elder lords who still looked down on him as they did when he was ten. They were like sharks, any smell of blood in the water and they didn't hesitate to tear someone apart. Those who were born into money had nothing better to do with their time.

Greeting the Marquess and his new wife in the entrance hall, the Earl moved into the ballroom. It was decorated well, festive for the season. Servants were stationed at several points throughout the perimeter, silent and unmoving while those with trays moved fluidly through the crowd.

 _'I should probably hire some people like that. No, life in the Phantomhive manor is far to strange to have "normal" servants. Just look at Serena. A girl from the future falling from the sky that turns out to be the mate of my demonic butler. Occurrences like that are far too common in my home. Were there always things like that happening at the manor? Was I too young to see them? Did my predecessor have the same cases that touched the fringes of the supernatural that I always seem to find? Come to think of it, Undertaker was around the manor during my predecessor's time, he would know.'_

"Lord Phantomhive. It's wonderful to see you again."

He turned to see Lady Annabelle Benison with her youngest daughter, Phoebe, in tow and held back a sigh. Behind them were four other ladies with their various daughters behind them. Ciel had a moment of panic, the feeling of being hunted overcame the young lord. The women came far too close and pulled the most beautiful that they had to offer forward. He had to remind himself not to show fear. The women were always far worse than the men in society.

******************************A Demon's Mate*******************************

Sebastian felt the presence of another demon the minute he stepped inside the house through the servant's entrance. The kitchen was bustling with life and he took a moment to stare in appreciation at the efficient servants. With a sigh, he moved in the direction that he felt the presence. Several hallways led to the storerooms of the house. He flared his aura a little and smirked at the gasp of shock he heard from a room that smelled of linen and lavender and sex.

In the blink of an eye, Lucien stepped from the room and Sebastian could see one of the house's maids asleep on a pallet of linens. He raised an eyebrow at the younger demon. It was obvious that he had fed, new life shown from the demon. His blue eyes were brighter and hair was spun silk once more.

"Elder, I would offer you a taste, but she's out." Lucien turned back to the maid with a fond smile before closing the door. "Humans. Their so full of life."

"I apologize for interrupting your meal."

"Not at all. I was already finished." He smiled brilliantly at his family's head. "Shall we take a look at the festivities?"

Sebastian waved the younger forward as Lucien seemed to have a better grasp of the house than he did. Lucien led them to a small space overlooking the ballroom. He easily spotted his master, surrounded by young ladies that looked as though to make the Earl their prey.

"I see that it really has spread."

The Elder looked around and saw the flash of blond and smell of sugar that always accompanied Lady Elizabeth. She was staring at the growing crowd around her fiancee and appeared almost in tears. Her brother looked on the pack of wolves in ballgowns that surrounded his enemy with a smug smile.

"What has spread?"

Lucien leaned forward and leaned against the rail. "It appears that someone has spread a rumor that the House of Phantomhive and the House of Midford have split. The Earl and daughter are now fair game in the eyes of society."

Sebastian smirked, "the ladies are quick to make a move. The wealthy and powerful Earl of Phantomhive is too juicy a bone for them to leave for others. How will you handle this, Master?"

He turned back to Lucien. "Now, why are you still in London? You waited till now to feed?"

"Oh no. I already fed twice." He laughed. "Well, three time now. I'm like a bear fattening up for the winter."

"Why are you storing food?"

"Emily...she doesn't like to be left at the tower with the younger ones. They make her nervous. Edwin will need to come up too soon and we don't know how long your contract will last so, I'm preparing to stay at the tower for an extended period." Lucien winced at having to explain the problem with his mate to his Elder.

"They make her nervous?" Sebastian turned back to the ballroom. "Well, this should be the last time that happens. With Serena there, she will command the family in my absence."

"Her name is Serena?"

"Yes and that reminds me. I have a job for you before you head back, Lucien."

"Elder." The demon bowed, awaiting his orders.

"Go to the Phantomhive estate. I had to leave my mate there, unprotected. You will watch over her until I return in the morning." Sebastian continued to watch as his master led one of the young ladies onto the dance floor. "Do not enter the house unless there is a threat. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Elder. I will leave immediately." He bowed again and took off.

******************************A Demon's Mate****************************

"I like it." Serena nodded at the main hall. The once stark but elegant space had been transformed into a warm and festive area with garlands and flowers. Candles softly lit the layers of green trimmed from the garden and surrounding forest. The three troublemakers had worked fine with a little supervision. More importantly, nothing had been destroyed during the afternoon.

"Now, I think we are all entitled to dinner."

The servants cheered and headed for the kitchen to get out the meal that Sebastian had left. Serena let Snake lead her into the dining room and to the seat that had become hers in the last few days. She saw that it was the only place setting and felt a little lonely. Tanaka led the way for the servants to enter through a door in the back wall and each took up their usual spot behind the red head.

Only two spoonfuls into the parsley soup, Serena let out a sigh. "Why don't you all sit down?"

All of them wore a face of shock and confusion at the suggestion.

"We couldn't possibly do that, my lady. The dining table is for the Earl and his guests, not a place for the servants of the house."

She watched as the others nodded at the sage wisdom of the retired butler. The red head took another bite of the first course while she thought. Finally, Serena put her spoon down and stood. Snake hurried to pull her chair back.

"Fine then." She picked up her bowl and went to the side door. "We'll eat somewhere else."

The trek to the kitchen was filled with chatter. Mainly, the younger ones asking the elder what they were supposed to do in this situation. Tanaka was still not sure of what to do himself, having never encountered a guest that wished to eat with the servants.

Once inside the manor's kitchen, Serena set her bowl down on the large island and looked for a chair. The footman pulled one out of nowhere and held it out for her. When she was seated, she waved the others to do the same but they were still fidgeting next to the door. Snake was the first to pull up another chair. Still unsure, he lowered himself into it slowly, as if waiting for someone to reprimand him for doing so. The red head smiled at him from his left side.

Finny was next, getting his own chair much faster than the footman did. Mei-Rin took down bowls for everyone before taking a seat herself at Serena's other side. Bard laughed while he grabbed the pot from the stove as well as the main course of roasted beef and place them in the middle of the table with plates for everyone.

They all looked to Tanaka, still standing in the doorway. The elderly man admitted that he had been given certain privileges by the current Earl after he retired that the normal servants would never have had, Lord Ciel had called him Grandpa for the majority of his childhood. Even Lord Vincent had confided in his butler as more of a friend than a servant. However, there was always a line that was never crossed. Servants didn't eat with their masters or any other noble. They never presumed to sit with the nobles as if they were equals.

"Come on, Tanaka. You can do it." Serena softly coaxed him closer.

"This is highly improper."

"Back at home, my place in the world is closer to you all then it will ever be to Ciel. If it makes you feel better, we will all swear an oath of silence that this never happened." The red head smiled as the others nodded.

Tanaka sighed and walked forward to the only chair that was left. The others cheered as he finally sat down. Brad quickly handed him a filled bowl and Mei-Rin slid a spoon over.

Conversation was slow to pick up, everyone still put off guard by this strange occurrence. Serena kept it going by asking each a little about themselves. Mei-Rin was found to have a sister that was living in London and married to a small business merchant. Bard had three brothers however, he hadn't spoken to them since leaving to join the army. The family hadn't been happy with his career choice as it took a set of hands away from the farm. Finny and Snake stayed pretty quiet about their pasts and Serena guessed that they did not have family except for the persons in the manor. Tanaka told about his daughter who was the lady's maid to a duchess. He was known to visit her and her two children on her days off when the noble family was settled in London for the Season.

Serena brought up what they did every day and found that the servants actually did enjoy their employment at the Phantomhive estate. Despite the gloomy Earl and constant reprimands by the family butler, each had a great story to tell that showed how much they loved being here. Finny had once caused a flood in the storerooms that took up the manor's basement when he accidentally dug into a water main and then tried to fix it before Sebastian found out. The Earl had used the backup as an idea to improve the indoor water pressure. Mei-Rin had started a fire with her glasses in the attic, but the cleanup had led to some pieces of jewelry that had belonged to the Earl's mother. Bard brought up the time that he had destroyed the east wing with a bazooka and all the master had asked was where he had gotten such a thing. Later, he ordered the chef to purchase two more.

"That brings me to what happened yesterday." Serena turned to the maid. "Mei-Rin, you can't blow things up. That's Bard's territory. He'll blow things up, you'll blow things up, I'll blow things up...it'll be anarchy."

"I'd like to blow something up." The soft voice caused everyone to turn and stare at Snake. "Well, you all look to have so much fun doing it."

"See, it's already started." The table laughed as Bard slapped his napkin down. "You all are horning in on my trademark!"

**************************A Demon's Mate****************************

Ciel breathed a sigh of relief when he finally escaped the ballroom for the sanctuary of a secluded corner of the balcony overlooking the garden, if only for a few moments. The matchmaking mamas had been all over the young lord with their not so subtle hints that their daughters or nieces or granddaughters would make an excellent Countess of Phantomhive. In case the split between the Midfords and himself was permanent, of course. It looked as though Edward had been successful at keeping Elizabeth away from him. Which wasn't hard with the constant barrage of young ladies wanting a dance with the Earl.

Brothers and fathers were not immune to the attraction of having the Earl of Phantomhive as a part of their family either. Escape to the male dominated card rooms had proven to be attack from a different and more direct front. His host had even suggested the younger sister of an acquaintance of his with the advice to choose a back-up soon. The Marquis of Arden had been the prize of the Marriage Mart last year and knew the hell that awaited the Earl until he either announced that his engagement was still valid or jumped into another.

 _'Even then, the only peace you'll find from their mothers is when you're finally married. It's very easy to break an engagement from childhood and they won't stop until you're completely off the market.'_ Arden laughed. _'I should know. I was in your position for the longest time and you have years to go before you actually do get married.'_

"I know that already. It's the reason I always avoid these damned things." The Earl sighed and leaned on the stone railing.

"Ciel?"

He looked over to see Elizabeth at the edge of his sanctuary, unsure of whether to come closer or not.

 _'She never would have done that before.'_ He sighed and the blond started to draw back.

"Lizzy, it's alright. Come here."

The lady was still unsure and walked slowly to railing next to him. Both looked at the garden instead of each other.

"I didn't think that you would come tonight."

"I had already said that I would."

Silence took back over the young couple and they watched as others were going down the stairs to explore the rose garden and flirt while still within the safety of the lights that hung from the trees.

"Do you want to break the engagement with me?" Elizabeth kept her head down when he looked at her. Dread pooled in her stomach as time stretched further without an answer.

"No, Lizzy. I was upset and I said some things that I shouldn't have."

"So, you don't hate it when I come to the manor?"

"I just wish you would give me some notice."

"But, I've always..."

"Yes, Lizzy. You've always just come to the manor when you felt like it, but we're not children anymore."

"I know that!"

"Do you?" Her head snapped up at his question. "I can't drop everything to entertain you anymore. There are things that I have to take care of, that I can't delegate to someone else. With each year, that list grows. It's not simply skipping out on tutors anymore."

"I just want it to be like it was before." She cried.

"That won't happen. You can't go back in time because you want to."

"Is that why you act like this now?"

He sighed as he figured they had reached the true heart of the matter. "It's not an act, Lizzy. This is me. I hate these parties, I have no interest in the current gossip, I have no interest in fashion, and I really don't care about socializing with these stupid people."

"You loved the parties that your parents hosted. Remember?" She grabbed his arm. "We used to talk about when we would have our own. We used to talk about everything, and now you don't tell me anything."

"There are aspects of my life now that are not suitable for a lady. My work for the Queen and business are not proper topics of conversation with you."

"I want him back!" Elizabeth put a hand to her mouth when she realized what she had said. The sentence, the demand that had been running through her mind since the Phantomhive manor burned down. The wish that filled her during the month she thought her fiancee dead. The same feeling that came over her every time she saw him after his return. "I just want the Ciel that I used to know."

"He's not coming back."

"He could if you would just..."

"He's dead, Lizzy." She back up against the brick wall of the mansion at his harsh tone. "He died and was buried in the Phantomhive cemetery with his parents. I'm not that boy anymore, nor will I ever be."

Tears rolled down her cheeks in a silent stream. Ciel pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her eyes gently.

"The person that you should be asking about the engagement isn't me. It's yourself. Is this what you want, Lizzy? Because I cannot change. This is what you will be stuck with should we actually get married, not the happy boy you want to see so badly. He only exists in your memory."

Elizabeth threw herself at him as tears turned into sobs. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and realized that he had gotten taller again. Another reminder that Ciel spoke the truth. The hands that rubbed her back were larger than they had been and she felt the heavy weight of his family rings through the silk of her gown.

"You need to decide if you can live with that." He pulled away. "It's fine if you cannot. I am well aware that I am far from who you thought you would marry when we were children."

She pulled back further, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I'm sorry to make you cry, Lizzy. I'm sorry that it turned out this way, but I don't want you to be miserable or spend the rest of your life looking for someone that you will never find." Ciel waved someone forward from the ballroom doors and she found her brother's arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Why don't we call it a night?" Edward smiled encouragingly at the younger blond.

Ciel stepped around them to head back into the ballroom when he was called back.

"Mother said that Serena was part of one of your cases. Is that true?"

The Earl nodded, his usual expression back in place. "Yes. Her leaving the manor at this time is not an option."

Edward took a breath. "I apologize for making a scene in your home."

"Thank you. If you want to leave through the garden, there is a gate to the left at the bottom of the stairs. I'll have Sebastian tell your driver to meet you there and give your excuses to the Ardens."

"That would probably be best." He looked back to his sister who had quieted, but tears still fell from her eyes. Edward gently led Elizabeth down the stairs and disappeared down the path through the bushes.

 _'There was no peace here either.'_

*************************A Demon's Mate*************************

Later, Serena found herself back in the library watching the snow covered landscape. There was a place in the trees that kept catching her attention. She didn't know why. There was nothing unusual about it, nothing extraordinary. Even so, her attention was constantly drawn back to it. Almost as if something was watching her while she tried to find them.

 _'Oh come on, there is nothing there. It's probably an owl or something. I'm just paranoid because Sebastian isn't here and that's not needed. The others are good at protecting the manor. Now, stop looking.'_

"Lady Serena." Mei-Rin stood in the doorway with Tanaka right behind her, holding a branch of candles. The elder servant had stepped back into his former role with Sebastian in town attending to the Earl. "We should probably get you ready for bed."

"Right." She took one last look at the treeline before turning to the two servants and following them down the hall.

Tanaka came into Serena's room and lit the candles before bowing to leave the two women. The maid let her take her own hair down while she took a nightgown from the wardrobe. Laying it on the bed, she saw the lady was back to staring out the window.

"Mei-Rin, do you think Sebastian and Ciel will be able to travel tomorrow? With the snow, they may not come back in the morning."

The maid smiled at the concern shown for the Earl and butler. "It's sure to be clear by morning, my lady. The master hates town and Sebastian will find some way to get him back here safely."

"Also," Serena crossed her arms while still looking out the window. "Have someone check the perimeter around the mansion. I keep feeling like there is someone out there."

Mei-Rin moved forward quickly and pulled the girl away from the window. She closed the drapes with a snap. When she turned around to usher Serena into the bed, her normal smile was in place.

"I'll do that, my lady. You should get some sleep, you should."

As the red head slid into the bed, one thought pushed whoever was outside from her mind.

 _'Now, how to get out of being yelled at for decorating the manor tomorrow?'_


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: I'm so procrastinating. I need to get back to work on Nikolai damn it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirteen

Sebastian heard a sigh from the carriage when his Master noticed the familiar setting of the Phantomhive lands. With everything that had happened last night between his little Master and Lady Elizabeth, he had actually felt a little sorry for the human and hoped that being home could perk up the young man's spirit. Unhappy souls never tasted as good as those that were content.

This morning the invitations and requests to call had come pouring in. Truly, his Master's face had been priceless when he had seen the two stacks of envelopes his butler had brought with his breakfast. That hunted look had come over the Earl again and Sebastian wondered why he had never brought that particular expression to his Master's face. He was the one that was going to consume the young man's soul after all.

 _'Prepare the carriage as soon as possible, Sebastian. We're getting the hell out of here.'_

He allowed himself a laugh at his little Earl's expense. The memory alone still made him smile.

 _"Elder?"_

 _"Come Lucien."_

In the blink of an eye, a human eye, the blond was seated next to Sebastian.

"Well?"

"There were no attacks on Phantomhive lands last night. However, your mate seemed to know that I was there."

The Elder's head snapped around. "What do you mean she knew that you were there? I told you to stay out of sight."

"And I did, but she knew that there was someone in the forest. She kept looking directly at my hiding place." Lucien snorted. "Even had the servants check the boundaries before she went to bed. The cook and the gardener took turns walking the grounds all night. Them, I would have expected to feel off as they have battle experience, but not her."

"Serena knew that you were in the woods but she didn't feel anything strange about Marcus. She even trusted him far enough to let him get her alone." Sebastian turned his attention back to the horses as they were nearing the drive.

"Could she be growing more perceptive the longer she is around you, Elder? It's been known to happen before. Or perhaps she was on edge without your presence. Emily has said, that even with yourself at the tower, she is always uneasy until I return."

"I didn't know that Emily felt she wasn't safe in my home."

"It's not that." The blond struggled with how to describe it. "She said it was a heightened awareness or restlessness that happens every time I leave her. I believe it is defense mechanism that a demon's mate develops, although I am not certain."

"Perhaps." Sebastian turned the team of two horses between the stone pillars marking the drive to the Phantomhive home.

"Elder, there was something else that I feel I should warn you about. Your mate has done something that I do not think your Master will appreciate. But it leaves me eagerly awaiting her presence in the tower."

"What are you going on about now, Lucien."

The younger laughed. "Oh, you'll see. I wonder who will really 'rule the roost,' if you catch my meaning? If you have nothing else for me to do, I must be going now. I told Emily that I would've been back by now and I'm sure that she's worried."

Sebastian waved the other demon off as they pulled in front of the entrance. Bard appeared to take the horses and the butler admitted that he looked exhausted. Helping his Master from the carriage, the demon approached the front doors with a sense of apprehension after Lucien's warning. The door was opened before they reached it by Snake who bowed as the Earl entered the house...and stopped dead.

"Welcome back, Ciel." Serena spoke softly as she walked down the main staircase. Back in the green silk, the red head was perfectly at home among the festive décor that was spread throughout the entrance hall. Once again, the Earl and his demon were struck by the beauty and grace that slowly came across the marble floor to stop before them.

"Serena." Ciel shook his head to clear it. "What exactly happened to my manor?"

"Oh, with the first snowfall last night, I thought that we should decorate for the season." She smiled while gently taking his arm. "Come in. Do you not like it?"

"It's not that." A little confused, Ciel allowed himself to be divested of his coat and pulled further into the house.

Sebastian watched as his Master was led to the salon by his mate. With her soft smile looking up at him and holding onto his arm, he could swear that she was flirting with the younger man and his Master seemed to be flustered by it. The demon himself didn't know what to do. Snake leaned over, still holding the Master's greatcoat.

"Is she...flirting?"

"It would appear so." He felt his anger rise.

"Does this mean that we're not going to have to take all of this back down?" Bard spoke from behind the butler, leaning between the two other men.

Sebastian pushed the chef's head back from his shoulder. "It would appear so."

All three stood straight when Serena looked back.

"Sebastian, would you bring tea to the salon?" She smiled at him before turning her full attention back to the Earl. "I'm sure that you are tired from the trip."

"Yes, yes I am." Ciel allowed himself to be led into the room off the main hall.

He was confused by the warm welcome home, but certainly not adverse to it. It was nice to have someone waiting for him with his home tastefully decorated for the season and the air smelling of cinnamon. He could almost forget everything that happened in London, to forget the last five years and bask in the light that Serena offered.

 _'I remember when my father came back from London it was like this. I used to watch through the railing when Mother welcomed him back and Tanaka took his coat and they had tea in the salon. Just like this.'_ Ciel sat down on the couch slowly as Sebastian came back into the room with a cart. He took the cup and saucer that she offered, still lost in his memories. _'Would this really be so bad? Serena knows about my work for the queen and she stays out of the way when she needs too. Maybe_ _marriage wouldn't have to be a just an inconvenience?'_

The angry aura next to the couch reminded the Earl that the scene in his mind starred a woman who already belonged to someone else.

 _'But, can I see this scenario with Elizabeth?'_

"How was your trip?" The question, even spoken in that soft voice, shattered whatever was left of the illusion.

"Completely awful." He set the cup down of the low table in front of the couch but didn't say anything more.

"Well, you can't just leave me in suspense. Maybe I can help."

"Edward spread a rumor that my engagement to Lizzy had been canceled. So I was mobbed as soon as I reached the ballroom. I didn't even get all the way down the stairs. I spent the vast majority of the night dancing and fending off marriage offers from everywhere. Finally, I went outside to try to get a minute to myself and ran into Elizabeth. Who preceded to question me about whether I wanted to marry her at all and why couldn't I go back to the Ciel that I was as a child. Then she started crying because I completely destroyed the illusion she had that she could make me back into that person once we were married. Her brother took her home and I was stuck having to explain to the Ardens why Edward and Elizabeth left out the back door. This morning, I didn't even get to have breakfast before the cards and invitations started pouring in and I had to skulk out of London before a decent hour to avoid the mamas invited themselves to my home to throw their daughters in my face."

He waved to the room. "And then I come home and you've completely redecorated my mansion."

"It's not completely redecorated. I only touched the hall and the salon." She smiled in what she hoped was a cute way when he looked at her suspicious. "I promise."

Ciel sighed and tried to fend off the impending headache.

"I was just trying to make the house a little warmer. And it did keep everyone busy so they didn't have time to reduce your home to rubble."

"That's a good point."

"I'll have them take it down." Serena lowered her head, her voice quiet and slightly depressed.

"No, it's fine." The Earl looked around the room. "It does look nice."

She smiled brightly. "Thank you."

"Master," Sebastian interrupted the moment. "The papers from Vienna have arrived."

"Go. We can discuss your current girl predicament at lunch." The red head took the hand he offered to help her from the couch and then gave him a little push out the door.

As soon as the door closed behind Ciel, Sebastian stepped in front of her.

"Would you mind explaining what that was about?"

"What was what about?"

"You were flirting with my Master." He accused and crossed his arms over his chest as she waved him off.

"Oh, that. I got to redecorate the manor and didn't get yelled at." Serena decided to have a little fun at the demon's expense and put a finger to her lips with a sly smile. "Although, if he really does break his engagement to Lady Elizabeth, I have a leg up on the competition as I live in his house. Isn't every girl supposed to dream of marrying a handsome and rich lord?"

A hand like a vise closed around her upper arm and pulled her into a rigid body. Darkness engulfed the room and her breath came out in white clouds in the frigid air. Her head snapped up to stare into the swirling red eyes of an enraged demon.

"Sebas..."

"Silence!" He shook her roughly. "If you think for one moment that I will stand by and watch you throw yourself at that human boy you are sorely mistaken. I may have a contract with him, but you are my mate. And I do not share what is mine, with anyone. Do I make myself clear?"

Her mouth moved but nothing came out. The demon shook her again.

"Answer me."

"Yes." Her voice was breathless, ragged with fear.

"You have no use for that boy, or any other male for that matter. Only me." In an instant, the cold in the room disappeared, the fire and candles roaring back to life. "Now, go to your room. I will explain to the Master that you will not be attending lunch or dinner. I will bring both meals to you and you will spend this time thinking about your little jokes and their consequences."

The minute he released her, Serena tore out of the room and up the stairs. She closed the door behind her and locked it. Her breath ripped from her throat in gasps as she stumbled to the chair by the window. Wrapping her arms around herself, the terror and relief came out in sobs.

 _'What did I ever do to deserve this?'_

*****************************A Demon's Mate******************************

Serena looked down at the drawing that she was currently occupied with. Throughout the day, Sebastian had turned up at her door twice, with the promised meals, but was turned away by the silence he had ordered earlier. She wouldn't open the door to him for the world. As time passed, fear turned into anger and now she waited with a screaming argument ready in her head.

Mei-Rin had left long ago but Serena wasn't going to bed yet. He was coming. She knew it.

There was no knock this time. She looked over as a little screech came from the door and saw the key turning by itself. Sebastian stepped in carrying a covered tray and shut the door behind him. Serena quickly put the sketch away before he set the tray down in front of her. Next to the plate, she noticed a bouquet of hibiscus and other flowers she couldn't name from the greenhouse that had been tastefully arranged in a small vase and figured this was going to be an apology. The girl went back to staring straight ahead.

"I don't want it."

"You have done nothing since you arrived but ignore me, tease me, or insult me. The scene in the salon was a consequence of your own actions." He pushed her back into her chair when she stood, ready to scream at him. "You forget that the being you are bonded to is not human and I will not react like a human. You would do well to remember that from now on. There are consequences for your childish behavior that you cannot even begin to imagine at this point. You are lucky that I have a contract with the Earl of Phantomhive or I would have ripped him to pieces the minute that you smiled at him."

She opened her mouth but he cut her off again.

"Now, you will eat what I have prepared for you."

The demon unfolded her napkin and placed the starched fabric in her lap before uncovering the plate. Steam rose from the freshly cooked beef and vegetables. She knew that he had made it special before he came up. A memory of the angry being in the salon stopped her from melting at the gesture.

 _'Still, no one's ever gone out of their way to make me something.'_

"Would you like me to cut it for you?"

Serena glared at him as the demon pulled the other chair over and sat down.

"You're sitting down? Doesn't that ruin your perfect butler image?"

"I thought that you liked eating with the servants?" She jerked back as if hit while he crossed his legs and leaned forward in the chair, steepling his fingers. Sebastian waited for her to cut a piece of the beef before he started talking. "Good, now that you have stopped acting like a child perhaps we can have a rational discussion."

The glare returned as Serena tightened her hand on her knife. "I don't think that I was acting like a child."

"Really, you don't think the silent treatment that you have subjected me to all day is reminiscent of childhood?" The demon shook his head and decided to continue. "When we spoke before, I may have given you the impression that being bound to a demon is like being married to a human. You acted on that and I apologize for that completely wrong comparison. Thinking about it now, I am willing to take responsibility for the scene in the salon this morning and admit that I had perhaps over-reacted. I frightened you. It is never my intention for my mate to feel uncomfortable with me and I will take steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again."

He sat and watched as she silently ate a decent portion of what was on the tray. Even with his apology, Serena refused to look at him. There was coldness in her movements, in her eyes that had not been there before and he figured that it would take some time to win back her trust.

When his mate pushed the plate away, the demon stood fluidly and pulled her chair back. She flinched back from his hand when Sebastian tried to help her stand. Walking to the bed that had already been turned down, the red head kept staring forward as she slid between the sheets and turned away from him.

Serena heard cloth rustling and turned back around. The demon stood from removing his shoes and slid the tailcoat from his shoulders.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She yelled as she sat up quickly.

"Ah, so you can speak." He smirked as he took off his tie and waistcoat. Hanging the garments over the back of the chair he had occupied, Sebastian turned back to the bed. "I told you that I would take precautions so that this morning does not happen again and I do not lie."

"What does that mean? What does it have to do with you taking off your clothes?" Serena backed up to the furthest point of the mattress away from him.

Red eyes swirled and pupils turned to slits as he put a knee on the bed and leaned over her. One arm pushed into the mattress on the other side of the girl's body, effectively caging her in.

"To help quell the jealousy that I feel, you will sleep with me from now on."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Serena slammed her hand into his chest to knock him off but he didn't budge. A cry of pain filled the room as she pulled her hand back with tears forming in her eyes.

"What are you made of? It's like hitting solid stone."

"Done that a lot have you? Fighting will get you nowhere. You cannot hurt me physically, Serena." He took her wrist to examine her injury. Taking off his glove, black tipped fingers smoothed over her skin and the pain eased. Sebastian brought his lips to her wrist and Serena's breath hitched at the contact.

"Will you just leave me alone?" She whispered in the dark.

"No. I have tried doing things your way, I have tried to be charming, now we'll try my way." The demon rolled over and stretched out beside her. "You need to sleep."

"I'm supposed to sleep with you in my bed?"

"If you would prefer to do something else..." He leered at her legs that had been exposed during her attempt at self-defense with a smile.

"Don't you even think about it."

"Too late for that." Sebastian sighed. "Lay down, Serena. I'm not going anywhere and you cannot move me yourself. You are out of options. Now, go to sleep."

"I could get Ciel. He can order you to leave me alone."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Master does not like to be awoken in the middle of the night for trivial things. He would probably tell you that it serves you right for waking him and go back to sleep."

"This isn't happening."

The demon watched his mate mumbling to herself as she tried to decide what to do. _'Such a strange and spirited girl.'_

"Enough." He pulled her down beside him and wrapped himself around the red head. "Now, go to sleep."

"Could you not be so close?"

"No. You need to get used to sleeping with me beside you."

"I would not call you wrapped around me like some kind of demon pretzel sleeping 'beside' me."

"I am not the one who is going to be sleeping."

"Whatever! You know what I mean." She huffed and stared at the wall. "Do you ever sleep?"

"Demon's usually sleep for a small period after they feed and return through the gate. It takes a fair amount of power to return home. Other than that, we can relax into what you would call a doze, but it takes a bit of concentration."

"No rest for the wicked and all that?"

He laughed. "I suppose you could say that."

Serena admitted that the deep rumble of his voice behind her and the scent of spices was relaxing. She felt her eyes get heavier.

"Go to sleep, Serena. You have all the time in the world to learn about me."

She decided to close her eyes just for a moment. The adrenaline was wearing off and her head was so heavy.

***************************A Demon's Mate***************************

The next time Serena opened her eyes, she was all alone. Morning's light was streaming through a break in the curtains. There was no man in her bed but a long, black feather next to her hand proved that there had been someone there last night. She was surprised that she had slept at all and wondered if the demon had done something to make her sleep.

 _'He had to have done something. There is no way that I would have fallen asleep with him, especially not that deeply.'_ The red head pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. _'There is no way that I would be comfortable with him after all that crap yesterday.'_

Mei-Rin opened the door, trying to be as quiet as possible while balancing the tray that Sebastian had given to her in the hallway. She jerked a bit at seeing that Serena was already up. The girl looked to be lost even as she smiled at the maid.

"Good morning, Mei-Rin."

"My lady, you're already awake?"

"I had a lot to think about I guess."

Mei-Rin set the tray down on the bedside table and went to the wardrobe. "Are you feeling better today? Sebastian said that you had a headache yesterday and not to disturb you."

Serena twitched at the excuse he had given after scaring her into her room.

"Yeah, I had a demon of a migraine."

The maid set a winter blue gown on the end of the bed.

"If you're feeling better, I know that the young master was asking about you. I'm sure that he would like to see that you are well."

***************************A Demon's Mate*******************************

Sebastian was setting a plate in front of his Master when Serena came into the dining room. The demon saw the slight hesitation in her steps when she saw him. Ciel stood when she entered and waited for her to sit. He had also noticed her strange behavior.

"Do we need to have another chat?" The Earl stared at Serena while taking a bite of his scone.

"No, I'm fine."

Glass shattered as a figure dressed in white burst into the room. Ciel waved the servants back from their attack positions.

"Oh good, we got here in time for breakfast."

"You know the element of surprise is truly gone." He took a sip of his tea. "Is there a reason that you feel the need to destroy my home every time you arrive?"

"It's a feeling you bring out in me." Earl Grey walked over to the empty chair at Ciel's right.

"So, you will be joining the Master for breakfast then?" Sebastian pulled two more place settings out of his magic cart.

"Of course." Grey took his seat while Phipps waited for Ciel's invitation to take the seat next to his partner.

The servants waited for Sebastian's nod before rushing to clean up the mess that had once been a large, leaded glass window. Clean up was something they actually did well. None of them said anything about the strange occurrence and Serena looked between all of them, her confusion obvious.

 _'Okay...so no one is going to say anything about the fact that two men just burst through a window and invited themselves to breakfast?'_ She watched as Ciel simply started eating again. _'I mean, I know that I had seen that is what happened in the manga, but I didn't think that it actually happened.'_

Phipps looked over to Serena and started to introduce himself. Grey waved a fork in front of his face.

"There will be time for introductions after we eat. Breakfast before business."

His partner chuckled but nodded. He was fully aware that Grey's stomach had more control over the noble than any amount of manners that may have been drilled into the younger man since childhood.

Ciel waved Serena to finish her meal as Sebastian took up residence behind them. There was obviously an issue between the four of them and Serena concluded that it was merely another fact that the manga's creator had gotten correct. Grey smiled at the red head as he took a bite of the perfectly poached eggs on his plate and she suppressed a shudder at the cold expression.

 _'Even with yesterday fresh in my mind, I'd still take Sebastian over that one.'_


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: I was tip-toeing around the internet and found Halestorm's Innocence. The first time I heard it, all I could think about was Sebastian and Ciel. I've also been watching a lot of makeup tutorials on youtube. They look fantastic, I look like a clown that just escaped the circus.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Fourteen

Serena sat in one of the chairs opposite the queen's butlers, next to Ciel. After breakfast, the Earl had invited them into the salon to discuss his newest orders. Sebastian stood quietly behind his master as Earl Grey seemed to take pleasure in making the other lord wait for the letter in his possession.

"I have to admit, Lord Phantomhive, I'm not sure that this is a good case for you. After the incident with Baron Kelvin, this made be a bit much." The other lord's cold smile was still firmly in place.

The red head got up and stood behind Ciel's chair.

"Lord Phantomhive is the best at what he does. Something that the Queen understands as well, or you wouldn't be here. I'm more than certain that the Earl can handle it."

Earl Grey blinked in surprise before his smile came back. Standing, he came to Serena and held out a hand. When she gave him her own, he brought her fingers to his lips, pulling her out of her seat.

"I forgot to introduce myself. Earl Charles Grey, at your service."

"Serena Walton."

He smiled at Ciel while still holding the red head's hand "I see the rumors about your engagement are true. Congratulations. She's definitely an upgrade from that loud girl always trailing after you."

"Actually, Miss Serena is a guest of my master. Nothing more." Sebastian came to hover at her side and noticed the slight easing in her shoulders.

"Even better." Grey's fingers moved to her wrist and pulled the red head closer. Green eyes widened at being trapped. Ciel jumped from his seat at the murderous expression on his butler's face, expecting to see the other Earl torn to pieces by Sebastian. Instead, Serena placed a hand on the demon's chest to hold him back.

It wasn't needed. Phipps had pulled the other man away and smoothly stepped between them.

"I must apologize for my friend. In the presence of such a lady, he seems to have forgotten to introduce me." The man bowed over Serena's hand while ignoring his partner glaring at his back. "Charles Phipps, my lady."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Phipps turned back. "I think that we should finish briefing Lord Phantomhive and return. Before her majesty starts to worry at our absence."

Grey pouted but returned to his seat. Everyone else let out a deep breath as the dangerous atmosphere disappeared.

"Now then, it has come to her majesty's attention that a number of teenage boys have gone missing from London lately." Phipps sat down again by his partner noticing how Sebastian had placed himself firmly between the Phantom and red head. "Several of the lower titles have reported that their sons came to London for schooling or business for the family and have disappeared. Each family receives one letter after the young men have not returned on the expected date and then nothing more. Every one of the letters reads the same. They have met friends in London and will be extending their stay for a few days."

"They could very well have gotten caught up in the more seedy sides of London life." Ciel set down his cup to look over the letter from the Queen once more.

"That was what we thought at first. However, the men have completely disappeared. There is no trace of any of them at their lodgings and their friends say that the young men returned home as scheduled as far as they knew. Then yesterday, we received a report that the son of the Duke of Richmond has disappeared as well. The family received the same letter as all the others."

"Very well, I will look into it and report to her majesty if the men can be found."

"Then we will take our leave." Phipps stood and waited for Grey. The other man still watched Serena as if fixated on something. "Good day, Lord Phantomhive."

"Sebastian will show you out."

Ciel let out a breath as the door shut behind the three and saw Serena do the same.

"What an ass!"

The Earl rubbed his forehead and nodded at her assessment. "Grey is smart although lacking in manners. Thankfully, Phipps excels in both areas. I think that the Queen keeps him around to reign Grey in. With the way he keeps provoking Sebastian, I think he is also short on common sense."

"Yeah, I was really afraid that I was going to be holding an unattached arm for a minute there." She rubbed the red mark that was left behind on her wrist by the Earl.

"That may have been what Grey was after from the start. How were you able to hold Sebastian back?"

"I don't know." She shook her head. "I just told him to stop and he did."

"But you didn't say anything."

"Yes, I did. I said don't and he said as you wish."

"Serena, I was standing right here. Neither of you said anything."

***************************A Demon's Mate**************************

Serena sat in the library again after being unceremoniously kicked out of the earl's study so he and Sebastian could confer about their newest case. Figuring that she should work on everyone's Christmas present, the red head hadn't ventured from the room in hours. That didn't stop her from being annoyed with the two men.

 _'Don't want to upset the little lady, so she needs to go do woman things while the men talk business.'_ The red head scoffed and felt her anger rise again. _'Sexist pigs, each and every one of them.'_

"Serena."

She looked up as Sebastian walked into the room. For some reason she noticed how smoothly the demon walked as he came closer. There was a grace that she had never seen any man or woman before. It reminded her almost of the panther she had seen in a zoo when she was little. All coiled muscles and gliding, silent footsteps.

"Serena."

She jerked back with a blush to see that he was standing right in front of her. The demon leaned over her, putting a hand on either arm of the chair. The panther came into her mind again. A predator eying its prey. Her heart sped up and she wondered if the rabbit was entranced by the beauty of the cat before it was devoured.

"That analogy is very apt in this situation. I do want to enchant you. I do want to devour you."

"How...how did you know what I was thinking?" She hated how breathless her voice was.

"It is not uncommon for a demon to be able to see the surface of their mate's thoughts. How else am I to know exactly what you desire?"

He leaned closer and she smelled the same scent of delicious spices as last night. There was something else, comforting, like warmed vanilla bean.

"What is that? That smell?"

"As I said, your analogy is correct. I am a predator, Serena and humans are my prey. Everything about me is designed to draw you in. To make you crave me. As I crave you." There was a quiet seduction in his voice. Her mind conjured up images of smooth, silk sheets warmed by flesh. "Again very aware, my mate. You feel what I want too."

"Stop."

"Is that what you really wish for?" Sebastian breath moved to her neck, stopping just short of touching.

"I...I..." Her hands clutched the material of her dress to stop from touching him.

"Shh. You cannot lie to me, Serena. You can put up all the bravado that you want, but I still know the truth. You know too. Your soul knows and so does your body."

She felt him smile next to her ear. It would be so easy to move that last inch. So easy to touch the warm skin right next to hers.

"Go ahead. I belong to you. Just as you belong to me. I will always welcome your touch, my mate. Crave it, as you do mine." Her head started to turn, drawn by the promise his voice offered.

A crash resounded through the halls. Serena jumped with a gasp and stared at the doorway, her heart in her throat. She heard a growl next to her. Sebastian was still in the same position leaning over her but staring at the hall too. His eyes had changed to swirling red, his pupils slitted as anger took over seduction. His moment was lost and they both knew it.

Serena took a shaky breath and put a hand against his clothed chest pushing lightly. "Back off."

Sebastian's gaze turned back to her and she could almost see him weighing the option of trying again. She shook her head and pushed harder.

"Very well." He stood slowly, with just as much grace as he entered the room. "Master wishes to go into the city this afternoon. He will need to use his contacts in London and plans to be based there for the duration of this assignment."

She nodded, still trying to calm her heart.

"The master has decided that you will come as well."

**************************A Demon's Mate*****************************

The ride into the city passed in relative silence. Ciel had brought the paperwork that he had been unable to look at due to the arrival of the Queen's messengers. This gave Serena ample time to mull over the happenings in the library this morning. The earl noticed how she would fidget every once in a while, seriously thinking about something. Emotions would pass over her face at a rapid rate whenever she shifted in her seat before going back to staring at the passing scenery.

 _'I can't believe he did that. I can't believe that I almost fell for it. Thank God that Mei-Rin is such a klutz.'_

Serena chewed on her thumbnail as she admitted that what made her the most uncomfortable had been that Sebastian was right about everything. There was a part of her that wanted him to touch her and wanted to touch him.

 _'He had to have upped his game in there. I've been around him for days and haven't felt like that. I mean, yeah, I noticed that he was sinfully attractive. Pun intended. What else would you expect of the devil? But still, this morning was like a straight smack in the hormones. Almost like they were saying, "Hey, look at that and he's giving you open access! You just have to make that last little step. What are you waiting for?"_ The red head shifted in her seat again and didn't notice the irritated look Ciel shot at her. _'Do I want open access to him? It's unlike me. There has to be more than just sex. Oh, but I bet the sex would be good. He is talking a forever thing, which doesn't make me feel so much like a whore, but I'm still not sure what all he wants from me. And how do I get home, especially if he's talking a forever thing. Do I even want to go back home? Of course I have to go back home. I wasn't born in this time period and there must be a reason for that. But, there's a reason that I'm here too. Maybe I'm not supposed to go back. No, that can't be it. Sebastian was telling me about when he'll go home. Home is Hell, right? He can't expect me to go there in this forever scenario of his. I'm not Mother Teresa but I don't think I deserve to go to hell. Does that mean that I would have to die? Would he kill me to keep me? Okay, now I've officially freaked myself out.'_

"Are you going to have any of your hand left by the time that we reach Undertaker's parlor?"

Ciel's voice shocked Serena out of her mental tailspin. She blushed when she realized what he was talking about. Chewing on her thumb had been a habit she thought she had broken in childhood. Dropping her hand in her lap, she went back to looking at the edges of the city they were entering.

"So, what is your problem now?" The teen huffed as he put his papers back into the leather case at his feet.

"I think I need to go to church more often." She mumbled depressed.

"What?" Ciel looked at her as though she had lost her mind.

"Nothing. Just demon issues."

"I highly doubt the church will help you. Unless you try to seek sanctuary." The earl scoffed. "Even then, they'll probably think that you're insane and send you to Bedlam instead. This is the age of reason."

"True, but it was still worth the thought."

"No, it wasn't. God isn't going to help you, Serena. Figure it out yourself." He looked out the window, the discussion closed as far as he was concerned.

"Not bitter or anything, are you?"

***************************A Demon's Mate***************************

The Undertaker's parlor was exactly as Serena remembered. The mortician, himself, was even leaning over another of his hand-made coffins. He looked up and smiled at the sight of their party. Placing the lid on the coffin, gently, he walked over to them.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, my lord? Twice in one week. I'm honored." He laughed into his long-nailed hand.

"I have a few questions about possible customers of yours, Undertaker."

"You know what that costs."

Sebastian stepped forward but was waved back by the silver-haired man.

"No," Undertaker stood in front of Serena and tapped her on the nose. "I want to know what kind of laugh the time-traveler can give me."

"Oh no, you're better off sticking with Sebastian if you want a laugh."

"Come on, give it a try. I'll even go easy on you."

 _'Think of the worst joke you ever heard.'_ The demon's voice echoed through her mind. She turned sharply to stare at him, sure that he had spoken. Ciel's confused look shot that idea down. Long black nails attached to a cool hand touched her chin and pulled her back to the scarred mortician.

"I'm waiting." The words were nothing but a whisper as she felt eyes she couldn't see bore into her. A low growl came from behind the red head as she shrugged.

"What does a wicked chicken lay?"

"Oh, I love these." He poked her in the side. "Tell me, tell me!"

"Deviled eggs."

The Undertaker erupted in loud laughter and draped himself over Serena's shoulder.

"Wow, really?" She looked at Ciel in amazement. The Earl just shrugged.

"That was brilliant!" His body continued to shake as he held her tighter. The growl got louder and Serena could feel the demon walking closer.

In an instant, Undertaker disappeared from her side and sat on the coffin he had been working on. His attention focused on Ciel as Sebastian pulled his mate close to his body.

"You can ask now." He laughed, still looking at the demon.

"I need to know if there has been an increase in your clientele of teenage boys."

"Ah, unfortunately no. Although I have heard that young men have been disappearing for quite some time."

"There have only been six."

"That were reported. For months, young men about your own age have been taken from workhouses and debtor's prisons. After they leave, no one sees them again. If I had to guess, whoever is responsible now wants quality versus quantity." He trailed a nail down the Earl's smooth cheek. "Make sure you keep that butler close. You're certainly fine enough to peak anyone's interest."

Ciel slapped the hand away. Serena saw the rare look of panic that crossed his face at the Undertaker's touch and stepped forward. Sebastian held her back. When she looked up, he shook his head. She watched as the Earl stood straight again.

"Thank you for your time, Undertaker." Without another word, Ciel strode from the shop. Serena and Sebastian hurried to catch up. "We're going to the townhouse for the night. It's too late to go to Lau."

The butler looked to the sun that was barely setting, but nodded anyway. "Of course, Master."

In the carriage, the Earl stared straight out the window and seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

"Ciel, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Serena decided not to push. As she looked at their surroundings, his quiet voice spoke in the dark interior.

"He always touched my cheek and said that my skin was like fine porcelain."

It took Serena a moment to understand what he was talking about. When it finally dawned on her that Ciel was talking about the first man that had bought him after his parents' murder, she tried to think of something that would make it better.

"Well, this time is different. You're not a child anymore and now you have an awesome demon butler at your beck and call. I highly doubt Sebastian would let anyone touch you with even a slightly malicious thought in their heads."

"Yes, you're right. He wouldn't let anyone taint his meal."

 _'Right, change of subject would be a good idea.'_

"Thank you for bringing me with this time. It's a little boring at the manor without you and Sebastian there."

He scoffed, coming out of his mood for a moment. "Well, I couldn't leave you. Who knows what you would've decided to decorate next."

"Hey, never leave a woman alone in a house and expect to come back to it the same. That holds true in any situation."

"I suppose."

*************************A Demon's Mate**************************

By the time their carriage rolled in front of the Phantomhive London house, Ciel was somewhat back to his normal self. When Sebastian ushered them into the house, it was still quiet and empty. Both kept their outer wear on in the salon as the butler lit the fires in various rooms, before bringing in a tray of the Earl's favorite beverage.

 _'I swear, by the time I get home, I'm going to have tea leaves coming out of my ears.'_

"So, do you know where we'll look next?" She rubbed her hands together in front of the fire.

"Undertaker said that boys had been taken from the workhouses and debtor' prisons. Lau will know more about that. Sebastian and I will go see him in the morning." Ciel took off his rings so he remove his gloves in the quickly warming room.

"I don't get to go with?"

"No, Lau's office is no place for a lady."

"And the Undertaker's parlor is?"

"The Undertaker at least has some manners." Serena and Ciel looked up as Sebastian brought a tray with tea to a nearby table.

"Exactly." The Earl took an appreciative sip from his cup. "You'll remain here."

"Master, shall I place the knocker on the door while we're in town?"

"No!" Panic came back over his face. "If we end up having to stay longer than a few days, we'll put it up."

"A few days? Everyone is going to be leaving London in a few days. Christmas is just around the corner and all the nobles will be going back to their estates until after the New Year."

"Then we'll just have to conclude this quickly."

*************************A Demon's Mate*****************************

Serena tried to take advantage of the fact that Sebastian was still attending to Ciel when she headed for bed. She had tried to shed the gown and all its trimmings to be asleep before the demon got there. That idea disappeared once she remembered that the dress she wore was fastened through a row of buttons down the back. Not to mention the corset underneath.

 _'Why can't these people wear normal clothes? I bet he planned this. Sneaky demon.'_

Not willing to give up, she tried to reach the buttons again, but every time she turned her ribs would protest.

 _'And here I thought they were getting better. To be honest, with the corset, they haven't really bothered me except when I sleep.'_ A thought crossed her mind. _'Wait, who's going to re-wrap them after I take a bath?! If that demon planned this I'll...oooohhh, I don't know what I'll do. He's gone straight to perv now!'_

A knock interrupted her fuming and preceded Sebastian into the room.

"Since Mei-Rin is not with us this time, I will draw your bath." He smiled before heading for the bathroom. "I'm sorry that I had to take care of my master first, but he was still shaken up this evening. He wished to retire early."

Serena followed and felt her anger rise with each step.

"Did you do this on purpose?"

"Do what on purpose?"

"Ciel had no intention of bringing me with at first, did he? Otherwise, he would have thought of bringing Mei-Rin and tossed the idea aside."

"I may have mentioned that you might try to update some others things in the manor." The demon's eyes glowed with the smirk he threw over his shoulder.

"You...you..."

Sebastian stood, smirk still in place. "You will need help with your gown, Serena."

"I'll do it myself!" She huffed and stomped into the bedroom.

He grabbed the back of her gown and ran a finger over the row of fastenings. "I believe that you will have problems with these buttons."

"I have a problem with a perverted demon."

"Perverted. I would not label myself that way." She scoffed. "I did not try anything while you slept last night, now did I?"

"I wouldn't know, someone made me sleep if you will remember."

"I did no such thing."

The red head spun around. "Yes, you did. There is no way that I would have slept next to you after what you did."

"What I did? Oh, you mean my reaction after you flirted with my master."

"Well...I..."

"What you did was wrong and what I did was, as well. I have already apologized and haven't asked you for an apology to me. I would think that you would let it go."

Serena started to say something but stopped. Finally, she turned back around and waited for Sebastian to start unfastening the buttons. She felt his gloved fingers brush her skin with each one that was released. As soon as the silk started to slide, she held the front of the gown to stop it.

"You will need help with the corset, too." She shivered at hearing the same cadence in his voice as in the library earlier. "I love the clothing in this time."

"That's because you're not the one who has to wear it."

"True, but the fun is not in the wearing. It's in the removing. Almost like unwrapping a gift."

"This gift doesn't have 'Sebastian' written on the tag."

Using the fabric in his hands, the demon pulled her back against his body. She felt the possessive growl come from his chest. "Just whose name does it have on it?"

"No one's but my own."

"Ah." He took a step away and returned to her gown. When he had undone all the buttons, Serena felt him untie the bottom of the corset. "I do not understand why you are so self-conscious. You certainly were not the other night in the bath."

"That was before."

"I see, that is a shame. Although, it is good to have a modest mate. With the dress you arrived in, I was sure that wasn't the case."

"What was wrong with my dress? I thought it looked good."

"It was good as something to wear for me. However, I do not like others to be able to see my mate's body."

 _'Wear for him, huh?'_ With each soft tug of the corset's laces, Serena's mind built a plan. She buried the devious smile she felt take over her face when it all came together. _'Since he went through all the trouble to set this up, I think that I should give him something for his trouble.'_

"Sebastian," she looked coyly over her shoulder. "Could you run a little more hot water? With us talking I'm afraid that the water has cooled and I really want a hot bath with the weather outside."

"Of course, my mate." He slid the back of his fingers over the delicate bones of her spine. The look in her eyes was more receptive than it normally was and he was rewarded with no words of protest. Sebastian picked up the nightgown that Serena had already laid out before going back into the adjoining room.

As soon as he disappeared through the doorway, she quickly shed the gown and corset. Taking a moment to steel herself, Serena slid off the shift, petticoats and draws. She took the pins from her hair and shook the length so that it fell around her in a soft cloud. The red head kept an ear out for the water to stop as she put a leg on the ottoman to slide off her first stocking.

 _'There it is.'_

Serena heard a choke as she slowly slid the second piece of thin silk down her skin. Letting it drape over the back of the chair with the other, she walked to the bathroom. Sebastian stood rigid in the doorway.

She raised an eyebrow at the shocked demon. "Can I go in?"

He stepped out of the way to let her pass and turned to follow. Serena stopped just inside the doorway and looked back over her shoulder.

"Thank you, Sebastian." She slammed the door in his face and dropped the lock for good measure.

Leaning against the wood, Serena let out a breath she hadn't realized that she had been holding.

 _'I can't believe that worked. What if he hadn't been so shocked?'_

A deep laugh started on the other side of the door and steadily grew louder.

"Well played, my mate. Well played."

**************************A Demon's Mate*******************************

Where Serena emerged, fresh and clean, Sebastian had pulled the ottoman next to the fire and was waiting patiently to dry her hair. Neither said a word as he pulled the brush through the thick strands until they flowed softly down her back. The demon helped her from the seat and guided Serena to the bed that he had already turned down. After she was between the sheets, he took time in tucking the blankets around her as if she were a child.

When finished, he stepped back.

"Aren't you coming to bed?" Serena asked innocently.

"I think you have played enough and are moving into dangerous territory." He turned away. "I'll clean up the bathroom first. The water should be cold enough by now."

Giggling followed him from the room.

**********************A Demon's Mate***************************

Serena came down for breakfast the next morning with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. She had managed to find a soft round gown in her bags that didn't require the extra help that most of her clothing did. In the dining room she noticed how Sebastian would glare at her from time to time. It only made her smile brighter.

"I see that you are in a better mood today." Ciel commented as she sat down.

"Why shouldn't I be?"

The Earl shook his head at her change in behavior but decided to ignore it. "We'll be going to see Lau this morning. I trust that you will remain here and out of trouble while we are gone."

"Sure thing." She gave Ciel a mock salute as he stood and walked out of the room.

Taking a bite of a cranberry scone with clotted cream, Serena smirked at the butler picking up Ciel's plate.

"This is delicious, Sebastian."

"Thank you, my lady. I'm glad that it pleases you."

"I didn't see any feathers in my bed this morning."

"It was not a good idea for me to join you last night. I stayed in the chair."

She giggled. "Poor Sebastian, were you a little...over-excited last night?"

The demon glared at her, his eyes flashing an unearthly glow.

"You're the one who started it. Call it revenge for the library." She eyed him while taking a sip of tea. "You should know all about that."

"Indeed, I do." He leaned down. "That is something that I am most qualified for."

"Bring it on, Feathers." She looked him straight in the eye. "I'm not afraid of you anymore. Last night proved that you are just like a human man."

Sebastian smirked as he put one hand on the back of her chair and the other on the table. He had noted the spike in her heart rate yesterday when she was caged in and, as if on cue, the beating sped up again the closer he came. The demon growled in approval when she didn't try to back up or look away.

"I believe that you are wrong in that. I look forward to showing you just how wrong you really are."

Serena felt the words whispered against her skin and suppressed a shudder. "I thought we were playing revenge not seduction."

"But I think that it would be a perfect revenge to make you want me."

"Wanting you isn't the issue Sebastian. And the fact that you can't see that proves my point." Serena reached around him to pluck a grape from her plate. He watched her every move as she slowly slid the fruit past her lips.

"What is the issue?"

"I've 'wanted' several people in my short life, that doesn't mean that I'm going to have sex with them. It takes more than a pretty face, Sebastian. When you figure that out, our game will really begin."

The demon blinked at her. "I am your mate, Serena. There is nothing wrong with wanting or having me."

"It's not about right or wrong. It's about self-respect."

"I respect you."

"Really? When was that, I must have missed it. Could it have been when you were trying to intimidate me, or maybe when you were forcing your way into my bed? No, it must be when you were trying to dictate my wardrobe or when you think that I'll fall into your lap with some pretty flowers and shallow seduction tactics."

Sebastian took his hands back and sunk down to kneel at her feet. He cocked his head to the side, regarding the red head as if she was speaking another language. He placed a hand on her chest, directly over her heart.

"I feel your heartbeat pick up speed when I'm around. You enjoy my attention."

"Again, that's physical." Serena leaned back in her chair. "And I'm guessing that's all you have experience with."

She took the hand from her chest but didn't let go. Serena slid the white glove off to look at his black nails and the mark of his contract with Ciel. Gently tracing the pentagram with her fingertip, she looked back up.

"I don't know how old you are, but I'm guessing that you have been around humans a long time. If the physical is all you think there is, that's a little sad and I feel sorry for you."

The demon jerked back as if she had hit him and stood quickly. "Master is calling."

Serena didn't watch him leave but heard his hurried footsteps, eager to escape the dining room.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: I need like three of me. While I was working on Kat and Nikolai, I got an idea for another series. I did get an outline and basic premise done but it still needs to be fleshed out. It's going to have to sit on the backburner for now, I guess.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the descendants and demons that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Fifteen

Sebastian hadn't spoken a word to Serena before he followed his Master out the door for their appointment with Lau. The red head decided to wander the halls while they were gone. While smaller than the manor, the Phantomhive family townhouse boasted five bedrooms other than the Earl and Countess's suites, a library/reception room, and a ballroom. Although still clean, the ballroom looked like it hadn't been touched since the previous Earl's time. Chairs and small tables had been pushed against the walls and were covered with white sheets. The doors to the balcony overlooking the garden were shut tight. When she tried to turn one of the locks, the metal screeched and wouldn't move far enough. Serena laughed at one thing the butler hadn't fixed but felt a little sad when she looked at the floor. Buffed to a high shine, she could still see the marks from much use long ago.

The reception room had a more lived in feel with a couple of the books still out on the table and a chessboard set up in front of a wingback chair. There was also a desk against the far wall that held writing instruments and blank paper. It was hard to envision Ciel sitting here after seeing the massive desk that was normally covered at the manor.

The bedrooms held no surprises. Unused, they were still aired out and everything neat. One room was obviously being used, with knick knacks, decorative pillows and bright silk clothes everywhere. There was also a scent of incense that still wafted through the air. Unable to stop herself, Serena walked over to the wardrobe and felt a stab of envy at the colorful silks and touched the pale peach of her own gown.

 _'Unmarried ladies wear demure colors.'_ The dressmaker's words came back to her from the day she had gone shopping with Elizabeth.

 _'Except in evening gowns.'_

Sticking her tongue out at the wardrobe, the red head went back to the hall. She saw a door tucked into a corner and figured that it led to the servants' bedrooms.

 _'I wonder what Sebastian's room looks like?'_

The sound of the front door opening stopped her in her tracks.

 _'Well, so much for that idea. I should have thought of that earlier.'_

As she came to the head of the stairs, a strange voice drifted from the entrance.

"It is good to be back, isn't Highness?"

"Yes, Agni."

She stopped dead at the sight of the two Indian men. _'Wow, two more that are spot on. Even the clothing is right. Although, no purple hair. I guess this is reality though.'_

Both men looked up and saw Serena on the stairs. The white-haired man stepped in front of his prince, pushing the younger man back in a protective gesture.

"Hello, miss. Who are you?"

*************************A Demon's Mate************************

Sebastian opened the door for his Master and ushered the young Earl into the house. The teen had been deep in thought on the way home after their interview with Lau and was still distracted. Laughing greeted the two and brought his Master out of his thoughts.

Both stared up the stairs and realized that there were multiple voices coming from one of the guest rooms. A masculine laugh drifted down the stairs and Ciel sighed.

"She said that she was going to stay out of trouble."

"At least she didn't leave the house, Master."

The Earl waved his butler off and headed up the stairs. A heavy accent greeted them at the top and Ciel rubbed his forehead in anticipation of the headache that always started around the Prince.

"I had hoped they would stay in Brighton for the holidays," he groaned.

"It seems that is not to be, my lord."

Sebastian walked behind his Master as they went to the room that Prince Soma had claimed in the house. Both stopped dead in the doorway.

Serena sat on the bed, with Soma, propped up against one of the bedposts. Both were dressed in rich and colorful silks of the prince's homeland. The red head was dressed in an outfit reminiscent of an Indian princess with jewelry to match the sunset colored silk. Gold bangles chimed from both wrists with arm bands further up, rings glittered on her fingers and strands of gold set with rubies lay against her red hair.

The three finally noticed the two in the doorway and stopped laughing.

"Ciel!" Soma jumped from the bed to hug the younger lord and Serena laughed at the panic on his face.

"I'm sorry that I did not greet you downstairs." Agni came forward to bow to the both men and welcome them to the house.

Ciel finally peeled the Prince off himself and turned to Serena. "I see that you made some new friends while we were away."

"Oh, yes!" Soma ran back to hug her too. "Serena can be my sister too. We will all share curry tonight!"

She caught Sebastian glare out of the corner of her eye. Serena sighed but pulled away from the Prince anyway.

"How was your visit to Lau?"

"Very informative."

"I'm glad that you did not invite Mr. Lau here." Soma crossed his arms and sat back down on the bed. "I would not share my curry with him."

That seemed a strange statement from the normally happy Prince and everyone in the room noticed it.

"Why is that, Soma?" Serena asked.

"He is not a good person."

 _'This from the man who sees nothing wrong with the demonic butler,'_ Serena mused as she watched the two.

"Oh, Ciel. I almost forgot. We made plans to go to the theater tonight. You must come as well." Soma stood with his hands on his hips, prepared for an argument from the anti-social Earl.

"I don't..." He stopped when he saw the hopeful look on Serena's face. Behind the Prince, she put her hands together and nodded excitedly. "Oh, alright."

"Yes!" Serena started forward to hug Ciel as well, but stopped before touching him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I have work to do." The Earl left and headed for his own room.

***************************A Demon's Mate************************

Ciel was looking through more papers that come in for a property north of London that he had just purchased in his suite while Sebastian tidied up the room. The butler kept stopping in his work and the Earl waited for whatever he wanted before Sebastian would start putting things away again. The demon was putting a book back onto the shelf when he stopped again.

His Master threw his papers down and glared at Sebastian.

"What is it?"

"Serena claimed earlier that I did not respect her."

Ciel blinked at the demon, incredulous. "That is what this is about? You're having relationship problems?"

"You're right. I should not have asked you, Master." Sebastian picked up the tray holding the remains of the Earl's afternoon snack and opened the door. The Earl picked his work back up. "You can't even sort out your own relationship problems."

"Hey! I could give advice."

The demon raised in eyebrow in disbelief.

"I could."

Sebastian came back into the room and stood before the Earl. "Well..."

"What did she say?"

"She said that I didn't respect her." The demon answered simply.

"No woman just says that," Ciel said blandly. "What was the whole of what she said, word for word."

*Some time later...*

"Well, Serena is not like the women of this time. Her personality doesn't fit with a woman that will fall at your feet. You're treating her like a possession that should follow along behind you without a word."

"But she is mine."

The younger man sighed. _'This is going nowhere.'_

Finally, an idea struck. "Sebastian, you said that Serena was your mate?"

"Yes, Master."

"Then you would be her mate as well."

"Yes, Master."

Ciel waited for his butler to catch his understanding. When it was clear that wasn't going to happen, he tried a different tactic.

"You said that a demon's mate ruled their demon."

"That is correct master."

"Then why are you trying to rule her?"

Sebastian cocked his head as he thought about the simple logic behind his master's words.

***********************A Demon's Mate*************************

 _'There's something strange going on in this house.'_

While preparing the evening meal, Sebastian noticed how Agni kept staring at him. The other butler would look at him out of the corner of his eye whenever he thought that Sebastian wasn't looking. The demon made sure that he had not pulled the wrong ingredients out of the pantry for the sauce he was making. Perhaps Agni didn't want to correct him but, there was nothing amiss.

Agni was peeling potatoes and Sebastian saw how the other man inched toward him. He decided to simply wait for whatever was bothering the other servant.

"She wants you to talk." Agni whispered

"Excuse me?" He asked, the muscle at the corner of his eye twitching.

"It is easy to see that there is some strain between you and Lady Serena. When a woman feels that she is not important to you, you have to talk to her. Listen to what she has to say and respond with what is in your heart."

"I see." Sebastian felt irritation rise as well as another emotion. It took a moment for him to acknowledge embarrassment as the alien feeling.

"Women are very confusing to men as they have a fundamentally different view of the world. The gods created women to be the opposite to men and their compliment. A man must always look beyond the surface of their words." The butler continued to peel vegetables with a peaceful smile on his face that Sebastian compared to a sage handing out age old wisdom to a child.

 _'Rather interesting if you consider the age difference between us.'_

Agni looked to him again and nodded at the pensive look on the butler's face. Since he had imparted his message, the white haired man went back to his cutting board on the other side of the counter. Silence took back over the working men.

When going to the Earl's rooms to ready his Master for the evening, Sebastian was surprised to see Prince Soma peek his head around the door to his own room. The younger man waved him over with quick movements. Once the butler was inside his room, Soma leaned back out to look around the hallway before spinning around quickly.

"You must give her something."

"Prince Soma?"

"Serena. You must give her something. A gift to show that you are thinking about her. A woman wants to know that she is on your mind, so you must bring her something to prove that. However small the gift, it will be appreciated."

The demon managed to hide the irritated tick this time. "Of course, your majesty. Thank you."

The Prince smiled brightly and gave him a little push out the door. "Go now. Think of something that Serena would like."

In his Master's rooms, the teen was laying on a sofa and appeared to be napping. He didn't even move when Sebastian leaned over him with a creepy smile.

"Master."

Ciel opened his eyes and yawned. "Sebastian, is it time to go?"

"Almost, Master. We must ready you for the theater." The demon pulled a black suit with silver embellishments from the wardrobe.

"I suppose." The Earl sighed and stood to be undressed.

"Master," he slipped off the younger man's jacket. "I seem to be getting a lot of unsolicited advice lately."

"Well, since you didn't think that my advice would be worth anything...I thought that others' ideas on how to solve your little problem would be welcomed." Ciel smirked down at the demon currently removing his shoes.

"I see. Well played, my master."

***********************A Demon's Mate*************************

Before getting ready to go to the theater, Serena had stopped by the Prince's room to drop off the jewelry that he had loaned to her earlier. She was surprised to see Sebastian leaving the room. The demon looked a little ruffled as he made his way to Ciel's rooms.

Soma had tried to get her to wear the outfit to go out but she finally convinced him that it was simply too cold for that. Now, she wondered what she was going to wear and how to get into it. Sebastian still hadn't spoken to her since this morning and there was no one else to help. She wasn't going to ask Agni for help again after this afternoon. The man had been cherry red every time he looked at her since.

In her rooms, a red gown with extensive embroidery laid on the bed. Serena had fallen in love with the fabric in the dressmaker's shop that first day. The heavy wine-colored silk had been shot through with real gold thread. The red head had tried to put it back as too expensive for her, but Elizabeth had insisted.

 _'It's perfect for the Season!' The blonde exclaimed while holding a sample up. 'And it actually goes with your hair.'_

 _'She's right, my lady. If you're going to be known as a connection to the Earl of Phantomhive, a dress made out of this will be just what you need.' The dressmaker took the bolt of fabric and walked to the counter._

She ran a hand over the beautiful gown again. _'Hell with it. I'm going to wear it, especially after what Ciel paid for it. If that means that I have to ask him for help, then I guess I'll have to hunt down a certain demon and force him to talk to me.'_

Plan in mind, Serena walked into the adjoining room to start a warm bath before she tried to find Sebastian. She stopped in the doorway. The bath was already filled, steam rising from the water. As she drew closer, a light scent of roses greeted her and she saw petals floating on the water's surface. On the bench next to the tub, a towel lay folded and ready to use beside a fresh shift.

She ran a hand over the surface, playing with the soft petals. _'At least I can get out of this outfit without help.'_

Serena slipped out of the layers of silk easily and sank into the warm bath. The petals flowed around her body as she lazily trailed her fingers through the water. Trying to relax, her thoughts turned back to the demon.

 _'When did he do this? Why did he do this? Is it just because it's his job as the butler?'_

The wardrobe in the bedroom opened in the next room and the red head realized that she had been lost in thought for a long time. Her fingers were pruned and her body was stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. She shivered at the water that had cooled to an uncomfortable temperature.

Serena quickly dried off and dressed in the underclothes that she could get into without help. She took a deep breath before opening the door to the bedroom, knowing he was waiting.

 _'Speak of the devil...'_

Sebastian stood next to the vanity laying out something on its top. A large box sat next to her hairbrush and a pile of hairpins. She looked back to the bed briefly as he picked up the dress's matching corset.

"Don't you think that is too much for the theater?"

"Of course not." The demon waved her forward and slipped the corset around her body. "Master said that I treat you like a possession."

"Did you honestly ask Ciel for advice?" She giggled and got a rather viscous tug on the corset's laces. "He's a teenage boy, but he's right. I think that is what's bothering me."

"I do not understand." Sebastian peeked over her shoulder.

"I do have a brain and it's fully functional." She glared back at him.

"I know that."

"But you don't act like it."

"I do not understand."

"You just expect me to go along with this whole thing, no questions asked. You try to decide everything for me. Like tonight. You had already picked out what I was going to wear."

Sebastian looked at the dress in his hands that he was preparing for her to step into.

"There was something else that you wanted to wear? This is really the only gown you have that is suitable to go with the Earl."

"That's not the point." She threw her hands up. "I want you to ask!"

"Then say that."

"I shouldn't have to, Sebastian."

"You're impossible."

"No, I'm a girl. I'm a person, not a dog for you to command."

He shifted the gown to hang right with a couple of tugs and started on the gold buttons.

"I apologize if that is how I made you feel. It was not my intention." The demon directed her to sit at the vanity to do her hair. "I am unused to a woman that wishes me to act a different way."

"Now, we're getting back to your previous experiences."

"That is all that I know."

"So, you've never been around someone who actually wanted to know you?"

"There have been a few masters who asked but it was mostly for their benefit or they were curious about demons as a whole. For the most part, humans have only wished to know what I could give them."

"That's kind of sad."

"It made no difference to me." He answered quickly and continued to pull the brush through her hair. "Is there something else that you object to?"

"I'd like some privacy." She looked at him through the mirror's reflection.

"Privacy? But, you can't dress in this gown by yourself."

"I was talking about at night. I'd like to have my room to myself."

"If you didn't flirt with other men then I would have left you by yourself at night." She started at the demon's snapping.

"I didn't...fine. I will promise not to flirt with anyone."

"Then I will leave you alone tonight."

"Every night."

"I will not agree to that. I will leave you for now. As long as there is no danger to you and there is no reason for me to suspect you of having an interest in another, I will let you sleep alone." Sebastian leaned past her to put the brush down.

"I'll take that." Serena sighed. _'Honestly, it's like talking to a brick wall.'_

Both were quiet as he pulled her hair into an elaborate but flattering configuration of red curls, white silk flowers and gold drops. When finished, Sebastian placed the box in front of her and pulled a key from his pocket to use in the small gold lock. Inside was a glittering mass of jewels.

"Master sent this for you to choose something to wear tonight."

Serena blinked in shock at the contents. "Are these real?"

"Of course." He sniffed as if he thought the question was offensive.

 _'Of course Ciel wouldn't have fake jewelry.'_

"Wow." Her hand moved on it's own to lightly touch the top layer. "But, what if I lose a piece or it breaks?"

"I assure you that my Master can afford to replace it."

Serena frowned and pulled her hand back. "I always wondered, are his companies really that popular or is it you?"

"I'm sure that you have noticed that my Master has an aptitude for games."

"Yes, he's a little bit of a genius."

"Exactly," the demon smiled and dug through the shining contents. "He sees his business and investing as a game to be won and is very good at it. He needs no help from me in that department. I merely assisted in getting the ball rolling sort of speak. Even as a title, when Master first took over as Earl, there were not many who would look at a child buying a warehouse or hiring for production work without a laugh. So, I purchased the necessary equipment and met with the solicitors on his behalf."

"It almost makes you wonder, would he have still been a business genius if all that hadn't happened?"

"I believe so. Most humans never find their true potential without a traumatic event, they get caught in complacency. However, my Master would still have taken over the title of Earl and the Queen's Guard Dog whenever his father did pass away." He pulled a gold necklace set with diamonds out of the box and held it up for her to judge. "He may have gotten started earlier than expected, but the knowledge still would have been there."

"That is beautiful."

"It is part of a set that would go well with your gown." Sebastian started to search again. "There is a bracelet and a pair of earrings that match."

Serena waited while he found the other pieces, not wanting to break the moment of peace. As he fastened the necklace around her throat the words came out anyway.

"I'm glad you're talking to me again."

He stopped and looked at her through the mirror. "I did not like it either."

The red head smiled back at him. Sebastian picked up the matching slippers to the gown and knelt at her feet.

"Is there anything else that you object to?"

Serena looked away, not wanting to start another argument. Her fingers ran over the necklace in a nervous gesture. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. "I know nothing about you."

"I cannot tell you much until my contract is completed."

"Why?" She stared at his bowed head, waiting for him to meet her eyes.

He looked up after sliding the second shoe gently on her foot.

"Demons are taught from their beginning to safeguard any personal facts about ourselves as they may be used against us."

"You think that I'll use something about you to...what?"

"You are very close to my Master and, as stated before, Lord Phantomhive has a vicious intelligence. I cannot take the risk that something I tell you may make its way back to my Master."

"That's a trust issue."

"As if you don't have any of your own?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not saying that I will never tell you, just not right now."

"I guess that is as good as I'm going to get, huh?" Serena stood and fussed with her skirt before moving toward the door.

"If that is all, it would be a pleasure to escort you to meet the Prince and my Master."

"Do you ever call Ciel anything else?"

The demon cocked his head and looked confused. "No, that is what he is."

She laughed and shook her head. "Nevermind.

Sebastian walked forward to open the door for Serena as she swept past him. He stayed a step behind as she swept down the stairs to the two nobles waiting with their mouths hanging open. Ciel stared for a moment before coming to the bottom to help her down the last stair. The demon handed her a white feathered fan while placing a matching cloak around her shoulders. She opened the fan with a quick flick of her wrist and smiled coyly at Ciel and Soma.

"Will I do?"

"You look fine." Ciel blushed lightly and turned for Sebastian to place his greatcoat on his shoulders. He offered Serena his arm, blush still across his cheeks.

She smiled and noticed Soma watching them.

"Well, a handsome earl and an exotic prince. I'll be the envy of every girl there."

The Prince came to her side and took her other arm. "Come, we'll go forth and make the world jealous."

Agni and Sebastian opened each side of the double doors so the trio could enter the frigid, winter night together. In the carriage, Serena took the seat next to Ciel while Soma told them about his trip to Brighton from the other side. As they rolled through the city streets, she noticed the Earl kept looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Is there something wrong?" She whispered so as not to disturb the Prince who was still chattering on.

"No," he looked back out the window quickly. "My father gave that set to my mother when they were married. I haven't seen anyone wear it since her death."

"I knew I shouldn't have picked this one."

"No, it should be worn. The set was her favorite and I'm sure that she wouldn't like that it's just been sitting in the safe all this time." The Earl shifted in his seat. "Besides, it looks beautiful on you."

Serena smiled and blushed a little. Both noticed the silence that had taken over the carriage. The Prince was watching them with a secret smile on his face.

"What?!" Ciel glared in his discomfort.

"It is nothing." Soma shook his head, the smile still in place.

She heard the Earl start grumbling under his breath and sought a quick change of topic.

"So, what show are we going to see?"

"I don't know."

Ciel and Serena sighed at the blasé prince.

"I does not matter what they are performing. Because, it got Ciel out of the house."

The red head laughed as Ciel mouth dropped open. "That's true!"

*************************A Demon's Mate**************************

Serena tried to remember that she was an adult as she looked around the opulent theater in wonder. The rich colors, artwork and décor made her slightly ashamed of what theaters had become in her time period. The sight of various nobles dressed in decadent fabrics and dripping with jewels made her grateful that Sebastian had planned ahead and had Mei-Rin pack the red gown.

 _'I will definitely thank him later. I'd have felt embarrassed if I had worn anything else.'_

"I assume by your reaction that you do not go the theater often?" Ciel leaned forward from his seat next to her. Soma had run into a friend as they were coming in and had left them to mingle before the show started. As the teen had no interest in mingling, they had gone straight to the box always reserved for the Phantomhives.

"I do. It's just that the theaters back home aren't like this."

"What are they like?"

"Much more...stripped down I guess is the word that I'm looking for. And people don't get dressed up like this."

"The theater has gone out of style then?" Sebastian presented the two with a tray that carried two flutes of champagne and slices of freshly peeled orange.

She couldn't tell them about the huge multiplexes and most people going in jeans after looking at her current surroundings so she opted to not say anything at all.

Ciel took a glass and sat in his seat while turning his attention back to the stage. The actors were performing a comedy routine for the audience before the main show began. Serena noticed that the Earl looked lighter and more relaxed than he had all day.

"Why don't you come more often? You obviously enjoy it."

"It's the people that I don't enjoy." He took a sip from his glass, eyes still on the stage.

She looked around at the box that was empty except for the three of them. "Okay."

"Just wait. During the intermission, we are expected to walk around and socialize with everyone. If we stay in the box, they'll just accost us here. Unfortunately, the nobles' boxes give them a view of the theater and the theater a view of us. Everyone knows we're here."

Serena looked around and realized that she could see into all the open boxes. Those that weren't being used for the night, had the curtains drawn. She also noted that there were several people looking at the two of them and whispering amongst themselves. The red head almost jerked back when she met the eyes of a blond woman glaring at her from across the theater.

"That's an impressive glare." She looked to Ciel and nodded to the woman. Although older, the woman was still beautiful. Judging by her appearance, she was one of the nobles. "Who is that? There's something about her that seems awfully familiar."

The Earl leaned forward and groaned. Putting on a fake smile, he nodded to the woman and her party.

"That is my Aunt Francis. She should look familiar to you, she's Elizabeth's mother."

"She's scarier than in the manga." Serena looked back and stopped herself from jumping. "Wow. That is just pure malice. I'm intimidated from across the room."

"She's trying to intimidate you. Just ignore her."

"But why me?"

"Because you're with me. And I'm sure that she recognizes the jewelry."

She turned back to Sebastian. "This is all your fault."

"I apologize, my lady." He put a hand over his heart and bowed.

"You know, I could ignore her...or I could make it worse." Serena smirked.

"How would you do that?" Ciel asked.

A dark aura began behind her.

"Nevermind." She shivered.

"What?" The teen looked between her and Sebastian.

"Well, I was going to flirt but I promised I wouldn't."

Ciel leaned toward her. "I didn't promise anything."

Serena giggled and flicked her fan out. "My dear Earl, I believe that you are in a baiting mood tonight."

She put a hand on his arm and he covered it with his own. Both felt the glare from the other box intensify.

"Perhaps. I seem to be doing that a lot lately." His eye slid to the demon behind them with a smirk.

"Indeed, Master." The demon sighed while waving them on. "However, I'm not very fond of the marchioness either."

Serena laughed, hiding her face behind the fan while getting closer to Ciel.

Sebastian leaned down on the Earl's right. "I do believe that we have more important things to be discussed. It seems that this was not a wasted night after all, Master. That appears to be the man that Lau was speaking of."

"Where?" Ciel straightened slowly, all thoughts of irritating his aunt forgotten.

"With the Viscount Druitt." He discreetly directed their attention to another box.

Ciel took a sip from his glass with a shiver. "Why is he always in the middle of it?"

"Because he's an evil bastard." Serena whispered back and the Earl choked a little on his champagne trying not to laugh. She laughed at him.

"That is language unbecoming of a lady." Sebastian gently reprimanded.

"What are we talking about, anyway?"

"Mr. Lau told us about a colonel recently from returned from India. It was his servants that were always at the workhouses buying young men. They were supposed to be house servants. Shortly before the noblemen started disappearing, his servants stopped buying."

"That is very suspicious." The red head noticed the viscount looking directly at her. "And that is very creepy."

"Don't worry about him. Druitt is small fish compared to who we're after." Ciel leaned back in his seat and pulled Serena with him. "At least Lau was also able to tell us where the good colonel spends most of his nights."

"Master, I do not believe that this conversation is appropriate for a lady."

"Oh, you hush." She waved him off. "Where is it?"

The Earl stopped and considered not telling her, but Serena had already proven that she could handle his world.

"A bordello in the center of the city. It specializes in...younger offerings."

"Do you think that we could shut them down while we're at it?" She growled.

Ciel sighed. "No. Even if we did, another would just take their place. Some things just cannot be changed."

"That's disgusting."

"That's London."

"And humans call me evil." Sebastian straightened.

"You know, some people are kind of decent." She glared at him.

"I have not met many."

They were interrupted by the arrival of Prince Soma and Agni. The man took the seat on the other side of Serena and waited for his own glass of champagne while chattering about his friend.

"The play should be starting soon. I'm glad we got here early so I could talk to Redmond. I haven't seen him since Weston."

Serena smiled as the Prince kept going.

 _'A part of me wishes that I could be that carefree.'_

A man slipped his head into the box and told Sebastian to cut down the gaslights as the show was starting.

*************************A Demon's Mate**************************

The intermission came quickly as Serena had truly been enjoying the play. The theater had decided to put on Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' before the nobles left London for the Christmas season. When the lights came back on, Ciel rolled his eye and held out a hand to Serena. Soma was already up and chattering about the play so far. They let him go first in leaving the box as the Prince had already made plans to meet up with Redmond again.

As they left through the curtains, Serena felt a stab of panic and it took her a moment to realize that it was because Sebastian was staying behind to prepare refreshments for the second half.

"What is it?" Ciel leaned close to speak over the crowd of other nobles that were exiting their own boxes.

"It's nothing." She shook her head and started forward again.

Several people stopped to talk to the Earl, mostly about business, others were simply trying to toady. The red head noticed more than one couple had approached with a young lady in tow. They seemed to back off when they saw Serena holding Ciel's arm. She just smiled and turned back to whoever her escort was talking to.

"Thank you." Ciel led her away after breaking from the group that had formed when they stopped.

"For what?"

"If you hadn't done that, I would have been surrounded by nobles parading their daughters in front of me."

She laughed as they continued on. Most of the others that they encountered merely nodded in acknowledgment from their own circles. They had almost completed a circuit of the upper level when Serena shivered, a feeling of being watched making her itch between her shoulder blades. She turned slightly to see the marquess and his intimidating wife. With them was the Viscount Druitt and the three were heading straight for them.

"Incoming." She whispered to Ciel.

"What?" He looked back and noticed the trio. "Oh. Damn."

The three blondes stopped just in front of them.

"Lord Phantomhive. I was unaware that you were in London at this time." The marquess decided to start the conversation.

"It was not a trip that was planned." With a sigh, Ciel pulled Serena forward. "Lord and Lady Midford, Lord Druitt, may I introduce Miss Serena Walton."

The redhead curtsied to the nobles and found the Viscount right beside her waiting for a hand. He pressed a light kiss to her knuckles with a smirk and pulled the girl closer.

"What a lovely bird that the earl has brought into our midst. I think with that hair, you would be a cardinal, my lady. Come to bless our drab world with color."

She firmly pulled her hand away with a smile. "I thank you for the sentiment, my lord. From what I understand, it is quite a compliment coming from you."

"Indeed. It is well known that I take in interest in all things beautiful." His voice dropped as he tried to put an arm around Serena.

Ciel stopped him by flicking the Viscount's hand away from her other side. He turned the attention back to the blond couple.

"Are you enjoying the play, Aunt Frances?"

"It seems passable. Why doesn't Lord Druitt take Miss Serena around for a moment? There is a matter that I wish to discuss."

 _'Oh, don't leave me alone with him! If he tries anything, Sebastian will kill this idiot...or I will.'_

As if he could read her thoughts, the Earl smiled at his aunt. "For the time being, I am Serena's escort and guardian. I can't take the chance that the Viscount may try to take off with my guest. As he did once before."

Ciel glared at the older man. Druitt just laughed it off.

"Well, he is right. I'm afraid I just can't help myself."

 _'The problem is that you help yourself to too much, moron.'_

"Very well," The marchioness drew herself up to her full height. "Elizabeth sent a letter to the estate today. Since you are in town, we will come by in the morning."

"I'm afraid that my schedule is quite full until after Christmas."

The woman's face darkened as the bell sounded to announce the second half.

"We should be returning to our seats. I will receive Elizabeth's letter when I return home. You can tell her that I will reply to it as soon as possible." Ciel bowed to the three and pulled Serena away.

"Well, that was nice and awkward." The red head whispered as they walked back to the box.

"Ask me again why I don't like to go out."

*************************A Demon's Mate*************************

When they returned home, Soma bid his friends good night and went upstairs. The Prince had been close to falling asleep in the carriage. Agni bowed to them and, after a meaningful glance at Sebastian, followed his own master to his rooms.

Serena waved before turning back to Ciel. "Was there anything else that Lau had to say?"

"Let's go into the salon. Sebastian will fix tea while we talk."

The butler bowed and headed off for the kitchen. Ciel led the way into the other room and took a seat near the fire.

"Lau was able to tell me that the man in question seems to have had in interest in young boys since his return from India. He had been stationed there with the army and lived rather opulently as he is the son of a successful merchant. His servants were reported as always asking for the better looking, cleaner, and if possible, virginal young men from the workhouses."

"I guess that Undertaker was right. This man's tastes have refined and he's looking for quality. He is also either obsessed or thinks that he has amassed enough money that no one will come after him, no matter who he takes. With his recent kidnappings getting higher and higher up the proverbial food chain, I would vote for obsessed."

"Obsessed is easier to catch red-handed, but harder to contain. Most of the time, nothing matters except the object of their obsession. And they'll go through anyone who gets in their way to keep it." Ciel stared at the flames, lost in his own thoughts. "I would almost prefer arrogance. Still easy to catch, but more reasonable once caught."

Serena nodded as Sebastian opened the door carrying a tray.

"Unfortunately, we are going to have to catch him and find out what he has done with the men he has taken already."

"The easiest way to do that will be for someone to be captured." She looked straight at the earl.

"Yes, that is the same conclusion that I reached. Tomorrow night, I will go to this establishment and try to catch his interest as the others did."

"Everyone knows you, Ciel. I highly doubt that he would try for someone so obviously well protected when there are others who are not." Serena took the cup and saucer that the butler presented.

"You have a suggestion I assume?" Sebastian held out a plate of cookies.

"You're going to hate my guts for this, but you would be better off impersonating one of the prostitutes."

The Earl glared at her but nodded.

**************************A Demon's Mate************************

Thankfully, Ciel had insisted that Sebastian help Serena to bed after she started yawning and drooping in her seat. The demon followed behind and had to steady her on the stairs. The second time she stumbled, he picked her up to carry the red head the rest of the way.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so tired." Her voice was thick with sleep as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"There is no need to apologize, my mate. Night is the only time that you seem to let me get close to you."

Serena was tired enough to not notice how the door opened without a hand and shut quietly behind them. In the center of the room, she had to stand for him to unfasten the gown and corset. When she listed to the side, the demon moved her to rest against him. After she was down to just underclothes, he picked her up again to sit her on the bed.

It wasn't until Sebastian slid a hand up her leg that the red head voiced a protest.

"I am only removing you stockings, my mate. You do not want to sleep in them, I assure you."

"That hand better not go any further." Her threat was ruined by another yawn.

"It will not."

She didn't like the look in his eyes and tried to wake herself up. It just wasn't going to happen. The alcohol from the wine at dinner and champagne at the theater combined with the stress and heavy gown, her body was exhausted. It didn't really care about demons and their intentions.

Serena didn't notice the nightgown that appeared next to her or the evil smirk until Sebastian pulled her back up. A squeak escaped when the shift she was wearing was jerked quickly over her head. She felt the cold air of the bedroom and put her arms up to cover herself by instinct. The demon's smile was still present as he slid the nightgown over her head.

"Be honest." She glared are him. "You really are a pervert, aren't you?"

Her only answer was a kiss to her forehead as he slid her under the sheets. As soon as her head hit the pillow, darkness sucked Serena under into the world of dreams.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: I'm thinking of setting up a Wordpress account with a weekly blog…or am I just procrastinating again? On another note, I love this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Sixteen

Serena knocked lightly on the door to Ciel's rooms and peeked her head in. The Earl was staring at the chess set that had been brought up from the salon but looked up when she entered.

"Are you thinking about tonight?"

"There's really not much to think about." He sighed and sat back. "You are right that our plan would work better if I put myself in his path as someone not protected."

Serena took a seat on the small sofa across from Ciel. "But, you really don't like it."

"There are too many variables. What if someone out bids him?"

"Bids?"

"It's an auction."

"Wow, the more I learn about England, the more disgusted I am."

"It's not just the English," Sebastian said as he entered quietly to stand at his master's side. "Throughout time, almost all societies have bought and sold other humans to the highest bidder."

"That doesn't make it right or any less awful. The fact that you all see nothing wrong with this is just disturbing." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"There are things that you can change and things that will never change. Humans are creatures that thrive on the debasement of others."

"I go back to my argument that there are some people that are decent."

The demon stared at her. "And as I said, I have not met many."

"Are you two done?" Ciel looked bored between them.

"Forgive me, master." Sebastian bowed low but the slight smile ruined it.

"Back to tonight. What are you going to wear?" Serena asked as she sat back in the sofa.

The Earl waved off her concern. "I have some commoner's clothing that should work."

"How are you going to catch his attention?"

"There is no catching attention. If he sees me, he'll buy me."

"Yeah, no wonder you were worried about variables. You're leaving too much open to chance."

"What do you mean?" Ciel looked at the chessboard again.

"If there is someone specific that you want, you have to work for it. Just like you did with Druitt."

"I'm not dressing as a woman again," He said as he glared at her.

"No, the person we're after likes you as a boy. I'm talking about putting the extra work in." Serena shot up and grabbed the teen's arm. "I have an idea. Come with me."

The red head dragged them across the hall and knocked on Soma's door. Agni opened and welcomed them in while Ciel sputtered behind her. The Prince stood from the carpet as Serena came toward him. She grabbed him by his shirt and looked straight into his eyes.

"Soma, I need...your closet."

"O...Okay." The Prince stuttered as a flaming red blush stole over his face.

"Thank you." Serena let him go and pounced on the wardrobe. Throwing piece after piece behind her, the red head motioned Sebastian forward. "Hold this for consideration."

She kept at it until she had gone through all the clothes at Soma's disposal. Finally emerging from the pile of silks and fine cotton, Serena pulled Ciel back into his bedroom. Soma and Agni followed behind Sebastian. The girl took all the clothes from them and laid them out on the couch.

"We need something for Ciel to wear."

The boy in question sputtered again.

"We need something alluring."

Agni stepped forward and pulled out a midnight blue silk vest with small gems sewn throughout the garment that twinkled in the candlelight. A pair of pure white, flowing pants followed that cuffed at the ankle. Soma must have gathered what they were doing and starting going through the pile as well. He pulled out three scarves, blue, black, and purple, setting them with the other pieces.

"Oh, I like it." Serena grabbed Soma and Agni before ducking around Sebastian. She pushed the butler forward. "We'll wait outside. Get him dressed."

Serena stared at the shut door as she thought. "We're going to need jewelry too."

"I'll get it!" Soma raised a hand and ran off to his rooms.

"What exactly are we dressing the Earl up for?" Agni looked after his prince to make sure that he was busy.

"You know about Ciel's work for the Queen, don't you?" She waited for his nod. "The whole reason that we came to London was that he received one of these requests. Ciel needs a disguise that is completely not who he is and catches attention."

"My lady, that outfit hints at..."

"A sultan's slave boy."

"We will need some other things." The man bowed and hurried into the Prince's rooms just as Soma was coming with a large wood box. "I will get that, your highness."

"Thank you, Agni. I did not realize that it was so heavy."

The man took the box as Serena watched. She smiled at their interaction. _'They may always be master and servant, but they are also friends and companions. I hope realizes how lucky he is to have someone like that without having to make the same deal that Ciel did. A person that will willingly give up their life without duty or honor or money as the cause are very rare.'_

"Serena? What is wrong?" The Prince stopped before her and leaned down.

"Nothing." She smiled and shook her head. "Nothing at all."

The door opened behind them to show Sebastian waving them all in. Ciel stood in the middle of the room, still as a statue, in the disguise that had chosen for him. Serena twirled her finger to get him to turn around. He did so, but not without heaving a large sigh.

"There's still something missing."

"If I could have a moment, my lady." Agni re-entered the room carrying the large box as well as a smaller box on top. Sebastian cleared a place to set them on the low table and went back to his Master. Serena noted how some of the tension went out of Ciel with Sebastian nearby. The demon nodded slightly, obviously catching the thought.

Agni opened the larger box for his Prince and Soma dug through the contents with abandon. His servant pulled a jar from the smaller box and held it out to Sebastian.

"This will need to be applied to the skin and then given time to dry before dressing this evening. But he must be freshly bathed for it to stick."

The red head came up behind him and looked at the jar. He opened it to show some kind of lotion that sparkled.

"It's gold dust." She took a small amount and rubbed it between her fingers.

Soma came forward with a set of arm bands and bangles that he attached to Ciel without waiting for permission. The Earl stood still as the two men fussed with his clothes, put jewelry on, took it back off, experimented with the lotion, and even brought out kohl to line his eye with. Serena pushed Sebastian back to his Master when she saw the tightness around his eye.

 _'I think that he is ready to lose it.'_ She tried to focus on the demon in hopes that he would hear her. In an instant she was rewarded.

 _'I will calm my master.'_

 _'This is still weird. I really don't like someone reading my mind.'_

 _'It's not really mind reading. Surface thoughts are often projected. Human's attest that it is body language or facial expression, but there are many people that can project their thoughts and others pick up on them. The bond between mates is the same, just more detailed.'_ As he took up residence behind Ciel, the teen let out a breath.

 _'It's still weird.'_

Finally, the two men stood back and let Serena see the finished result. She stepped forward to look closer. The vest brought out the blue in Ciel's showing eye and contrasted nicely with his pale skin. It covered his brand while still leaving most of his stomach bare. The pants rode low on his slim hips and the scarves tied around his waist fluttered with every movement. Around his ankle, gleamed a thick, gold band with a delicate chain that ran down his foot to a ring around one of his toes. A plain gold collar had been fastened around his neck and matching bands sat on each bicep. The bangles around his wrists tinkled every time he moved a hand.

"Wow, you two do good work." She held out her hands. "Come here."

Serena clucked her tongue when he took her hands.

"What?"

"You still walk like a noble."

A loud knock resounded through the house and up the stairs from the front door. Sebastian moved at the same time that Agni did and both reached the doorway at the same time. The Indian man bowed and backed away.

"You should stay here in case Serena has any other ideas." The butler swept out of the room to answer the door.

"He's right. We need to reteach Ciel how to walk."

"What's wrong with the way that I walk?" He put his hands on his hips.

"You walk like an English nobleman." She waved a hand in front of him. "All arrogance and stick shoved up your ass."

Serena ignored the tirade she could feel coming and looked around the room.

"We need more space."

The Earl must have decided that it was useless to argue and settled to glare at her. "The music room is the largest open space."

"Actually, that would be the ballroom." Sebastian came back into the room carrying an envelope that he handed to his master. "From Mr. Lau."

Ciel opened it quickly and sighed. "Our Colonel has decided to throw a house party tonight. Lau is invited and will be our entry as well. So, I can get out of this."

"Hold it." Serena came closer. "Didn't you say that you needed to search the house?"

"Yes."

"Distraction."

"What?"

"You get to be the distraction so that Sebastian can search the house."

The Earl sighed. "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"You are very distracting right now." She looked him over again. "And with a house party, now I have an even better idea for keeping his attention for a few minutes."

"What would that be?" Ciel couldn't hide the dread in his voice.

She clapped with a smile. "You get to dance."

***************************A Demon's Mate****************************

Everyone gathered in the music room for the Earl's lesson is walking. Even Sebastian was unsure of how to change a characteristic that was so deeply ingrained in his Master, especially with only a few hours in which to do it. Serena had asked Agni to try with Ciel while she took off with the butler to change. Both emerged in moments, the red head back in the bold silks from the day before and hair freed from its pins.

"Okay, so where are we?"

Judging by the glare that Ciel shot Soma and Agni, she guessed not very far from where they started. The Earl came to her and Sebastian.

"You really need to loosen up. Watch me." Serena walked around the inside edge of the room, using her hips to move around the instruments and make the skirt swirl with her steps. Both the Earl and Prince were blushing lightly when she made it back to them. "Now, you try."

Ciel took the same circuit with entirely different results. Serena shook her head as he stopped in front of her.

"You don't have a seductive bone in your body, do you?"

"I'm a man!"

"So what?! Look at your butler. He's a man and he's nothing but sex on the hoof." She looked over. "Wrapped in a sweet tailcoat."

Sebastian smirked down at her, oozing sex appeal. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She turned back Ciel. "And I hope that you just paid attention to that."

"Even watch him walk. There is a subtle movement in the hips that takes your steps from walking to gliding." Serena snapped her fingers as another idea came. "I wish I had a hulla hoop. Nothing teaches hip movement like a hulla hoop."

The red head pulled Ciel back to the starting point. "Come on. I'm going to walk with you."

She put her hands on his waist and ignored the slight jump beneath her fingers. "Everything from here up is fine. It's below this that you need to work on. Think about these scarves. You want them to swish behind you. As you walk, you want to hear swish swish in your head."

Serena pulled his hips in time with her own while they were standing. "I can't believe that you walk in heels every day and you have no movement in your hips."

"Stop touching me." He whispered at her.

"Then actually try." He jumped again. "You can't fool me, Ciel. I know you just don't want to do this so you won't even try to do it right. Now, walk."

They started forward jerkily. Every step, Serena would push his hips in the direction that she wanted. By half way around the room, she had stepped away and let go of him.

"Swish, swish." When they got close, everyone could hear what she had been repeating to him with every step. "Much better."

She put her hands on her hips and nodded at his progress.

"Now that you have loosened up, we need to work on your floor show."

"Floor show?!"

"That's right." Serena smiled. "Sebastian will need time to search the house for the missing men. During that time, we need to make sure that your host, as well as his guests, don't interrupt. I told you before that the name of the game was distraction. Or I guess that you could call it misdirection."

She clapped her hands together and dropped to sit on the floor. "Come on, let's see you dance."

"Dance?!"

The red head nodded happily. Soma sat down next to her.

"Come, Ciel."

The teen just stood there, unsure of what to do. His weight shifted from one foot to the other as he looked to each of them. Serena leaned to the Soma.

"I should probably do a demonstration, huh?"

"I think that would be a good idea," he whispered back.

She jumped up and pulled Ciel to her spot. Shoving him down, the red head went back to the center of the room. She started to sway a little but stopped.

"We should have had some music too. I need a beat."

Agni waved for them to give him a minute and left the room. Sebastian brought in tea to hand out to the Earl and Prince. Serena continued to sway to the music in her own head while she waited. The butler slid up beside her.

"I am unsure if I am comfortable with you dancing for other men." His eyes flashed for a split second before going back to crimson.

She nudged him with a smile. "Much better. I'd rather you say something than try to be high-handed and do something. Or think that you could forbid it."

"Is that all you're going to say about this?"

"No, who says you can't watch too?" Serena winked and pushed him away as Agni came back into the room.

The white-haired man carried a large drum that he placed on the floor. Sitting behind it, he started to tap various spots on its surface. He looked up to Serena and nodded.

"Something earthy, Agni."

He nodded again and started to strike the drum's taut surface. Serena's eyes closed as she felt the beat with a smile. Slowly, she started to move. Her hips moved with the music first and spread to the rest of her body.

Ciel and Soma stared at the red head as she danced. Occasionally, she would catch their eye as she swished and swirled in front of them. Her body moved across the floor without ever going out of their range. With a smirk, Serena leaned down and took the Earl's hand. She pulled him up to move with her.

They started slow, with Serena behind Ciel and guiding him through a secret dance. When she pulled away, they moved in a mirror of each other. The boy was more stilted than her, but not enough to put anyone off. The music began to speed up. Everyone watched as Serena brought her arms above her head, twinning them together like snakes while her hips kept time with the beat. The faster the drum beat, the faster she moved. Sliding into a backward dip, her hands and arms continued to move.

Suddenly, the music stopped. Serena came up from her dip and looked to the men. Ciel had stopped toward the end and now stood with the others gaping at her.

"You may want to close your mouth. Don't want to catch a bug in there." She smirked at them as she bowed.

"How do you do that?" Ciel snapped his jaw shut.

"The trick is to feel the beat and dance like no one is watching." She giggled. "It also helps to have a roommate your freshman year that took belly dancing lessons. I watched while she was practicing."

Serena bowed to Agni. "Thank you for the music. It was exactly what I was looking for."

The older man bowed back and picked up the drum.

"I believe that it is time to prepare dinner." Sebastian snapped his pocket watch shut carefully not looking at his mate.

The two butlers bowed and left the room.

****************************A Demon's Mate************************

Serena had stayed in the music room while the others went off. Remembering the music, she slid into the dance again. As she moved through the steps, the girl didn't hear another person enter the room. She turned around and saw a wall of black.

Sebastian grabbed her wrist and hauled the red head against him. His eyes glowed with swirling red.

"You will never dance like that again in public." His voice was growl of anger but she could feel that he had enjoyed the show as well.

"Something else that I'll only do in front of you?" The girl laughed as she pulled away and danced around him. "There's no one here now."

Serena pushed the demon lightly until he felt the piano bench behind him. Going back to the center of the room, she started the steps over again. Her skirts brushed against his legs every time that she came close but quickly danced away before he thought to touch her. At the end, instead of leaning away, she leaned back into him. Red hair brushed the side of his face as she bent and his hand skimmed the flesh of her side exposed by the dress.

With a quick jerk, Sebastian pulled his mate into his lap. The red head laughed at the break in his self-control. She looked up to see swirling red and fangs. She felt his breathing change against her back. Heavier breathes whispered across her lips as he held her jaw, dipping his face close to hers. Anticipation, instead of exercise, made her heart race now.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Both broke apart to see Soma backing out of the door as quickly as he could with his eyes covered. Serena's head fell back against Sebastian's shoulder as a laugh bubbled over.

"It's not funny." He growled.

"Actually, it kind of is. Something just occurred to me." She tried to talk through the laughter. "You're the one who really wants this. But in all your seduction planning, you never think to shut the door."

The demon stood up quickly, dumping Serena to the floor. Her laughter only got louder as Sebastian stalked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

"Now, you're on the wrong side of it!"


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: I just realized something rather important. Kindle ate my scene breaks on Tangled Mirror. Yeah, the book I entered in a writing competition and I just got the email that it was sent to the judge two days ago. And if I try to go in and fix it, I'll be disqualified. Thanks Kindle.

And yes, I'm procrastinating again. Kat and Nikolai...why are you fighting me so hard?!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Seventeen

Serena stood at the bottom of the stairs while Sebastian coaxed his Master out of his room. During dinner, Soma had attempted to put himself into the mission. After much arguing, Agni had reminded the Prince that he had already promised to attend Druitt's Christmas soiree. The invitation having come from the lord's nephew at the theater last night. Thankfully, the two had already left when Ciel went up to get ready.

She heard something and saw Ciel coming in full disguise. The outfit may have been appealing earlier, but with the addition of the gold dust and jewelry, the Earl was absolutely gorgeous.

Sebastian was a dark shadow behind the teen as they descended the stairs. He caught her staring and growled. Serena brushed it off as they hit the foyer and walked around Ciel to get the whole of his disguise. When she faced him again, the girl smiled and let out a low whistle.

"Well, I'd buy you if I had the money."

Sebastian growled again, louder.

"You couldn't afford me."

"Oh, could I trade?" She smirked at the demon standing over her. He towered over her, eyes glowing and teeth bared. "Oh, calm down Feathers. It's a joke. You know, funny, ha ha."

"Again, are you two done yet?"

Serena smiled and came back to the Earl. "The point is you look great. So, we're ready to go then."

"You're not going."

"What?!" She looked back to Sebastian.

"I cannot search the mansion and watch you both at the same time."

Ciel raised a hand to stop her protest. "Serena, the men there tonight would expect you to be for sale. This is no game. It is far too dangerous for you to go."

"But..."

"No." Ciel glared. "My answer is final."

Serena huffed at both of them and turned her back.

"Well, this sucks."

Ciel walked around her headed for the door. Sebastian had already readied the carriage with plenty of hot bricks since any cloak would smudge the gold dust on the Earl's skin and any shoes were out of the question as well. The demon picked up his Master at the door and gave Serena a nod before going out into the cold.

When the door closed, she pouted.

"Sexist bastards."

************************A Demon's Mate***********************

"What to do now?" Serena leaned against the door for a pouting moment. "No wonder these people throw parties all the time. They were bored out their minds."

She started away from the door when an idea struck. Looking around the hallway, she ducked her head out the door to make sure that the carriage was well on its way. An evil smirk took over her face as she shut the door.

 _'What are you up to, my mate?'_

Serena jumped at the smooth voice that seemed to come from all around her.

 _"I don't know what you're talking about," she said to the empty house._

 _'I detect a faint hint of evil through your mind.'_

 _"Evil is your thing, isn't it? Besides, aren't you supposed to be watching Ciel?"_

 _'We are picking up Mr. Lau now.'_

 _"Well, shouldn't you concentrate on what you're doing versus what I'm doing?"_

 _'What are you doing? Thinking about the London sights?'_

 _"I'm not doing anything and I'm not going anywhere. Scout's honor."_

 _'What does honor have to do with scouting?'_ The demon's confusion was easy to hear and she shook her head.

 _"Oh, nevermind."_

The red head waited until she was sure that the conversation was over and raced for the door she had seen Sebastian come out of when calling them for dinner that night.

The servants' part of the townhouse was just as stripped down as the manor's. Her footsteps echoed off the simple, plaster walls and bare, wood floors. The kitchen was larger than she would have thought and imagined that it had originally been intended for far more servants than the earldom currently employed.

 _'How many servants do you need when you have a demonic butler at your beck and call?'_

Serena winced at the thought and waited for some kind of reply. She had tried to not think of anything while on this little adventure so as not to draw Sebastian's notice.

 _'Nothing. I wonder if there is a distance limit to his little mind reading trick?'_

Attached to the kitchen was a pantry that could have easily held one of the large bedrooms. Shelves lined the room, mostly stocked with foods that she figured Agni had purchased for Soma. She didn't think the large amount of spices were something that Sebastian would use for Ciel and there wasn't nearly as much sugar as the manor's kitchens. The door off the pantry led to a much smaller dining room for the servants.

Back in the hall, another door led to an office. Just as stripped down, the shelves behind a large, standing desk were filled with books that had no titles. She pulled one down and opened the cover. All of the pages were filled with rows upon rows of numbers. At the bottom of each page was an initial that she realized was Ciel's.

 _'Must be the estate office.'_

Not understanding the notations, Serena slipped the book back on the shelf and turned to the desk. It was almost as large as the earl's desk at the manor and stocked with fresh account books, pots of ink, and steel fountain pens. She found the book that was currently being used but still didn't know what the headings were.

 _'Okay history buff likes it, the rest of me is still bored.'_

The door across the hall opened into the Earl's dining room and she saw the back of it looked like the paneling that lined the room. Going further down the hall, there were several doors that led to the noble's part of the house.

 _'Well, no wonder there's never really a wait for anything. It's still kind of creepy that the servants could pop up anywhere in the house. That's probably why the authorities always suspect servants first when anyone is murdered in this time period.'_

The sound of the front door slamming carried through the hallway and Serena turned to go back.

 _'That was quick. Ciel must have chickened out.'_

With a sigh, the red head looked to the set of stairs nestled in the corner but went through the door in front of her that led into the main hallway.

"Ciel?" She called while walking toward the front doors.

Instead of an upset Earl and his black clad butler, a man dressed in red looked back at her.

His red hair, much brighter than her own, fell down his back and almost blended with the red coat her wore. Electric green eyes glared from behind red glasses with little skulls hanging from the frames. Sharpened, dagger-like teeth shown from the red-painted snarl of the man's lips. The chainsaw the man carried started up.

"So, you're the hussy trying to steal my man!" He swung the power tool up and started toward Serena.

"Oh, shit!"

The girl screamed as she ran for the stairs. The grind of the chainsaw was the only sound she heard and stole any hopes of a plan. There was only the need to run, to get away. Every beat of her heart that she heard in her head matched the pounding of the boots behind her. Long skirts seemed to help the reaper, trying to trip her with every step. Pulling the tables that lined the hallway behind her, she tried anything to slow him down. The girl heard Grell's heeled boots crunch through the heavy wood and broken glass vases as though they were nothing.

 _'Why didn't I remember Grell? He was one of my favorite characters in the series. Maybe I should be thinking horror movies. Why does the stupid girl always run up the stairs?!'_

"I'm not trying to steal anything. This was his idea!"

"Liar. Thieving harlot!"

She heard more glass breaking as she spotted the door that led to the servants' part of the house and remembered the other set of stairs that led back down. She realized the chainsaw's buzz was farther away than before and turned her head.

"Out of my way, demon!"

Another man stood between Grell and herself. Long, black hair was tied up in a ponytail high on his head and blended into the black of his leather coat swirling around the man's legs as he dodged the reaper's weapon. The man was easily as tall as Sebastian and moved with the same fluidity she'd seen in the demon. He turned to her and Serena saw the same swirling, red eyes and canines gleaming sharp in the moonlight from the broken window he had used to enter the house.

"You might want to keep running." The demon's voice was sarcastic and carried a hint of a strange accent as he turned back to Grell. "I may slow him down, but I'm not going to die for you, Princess."

Serena brushed off the comment and darted into the servants' passage. She heard Grell's frustrated growl behind her and ran faster. The rough stairs were easier to navigate with her silk shoes than the carpeted ones of the main staircase, letting the girl run faster. Her skirts were still a hinderance and she pulled the cloth up to her knees as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

She ran to the first door that she knew led back to the other side of the house and made a beeline for the front door. Pounding behind her caused the girl to look up. Grell was coming back down the main stairs. The demon was right behind him, reaching out for the red coat the reaper wore. She heard Grell's angry shout as she pulled the front door open.

Undertaker was running toward her as Serena ran down the front stairs. The man caught her as she fell on the last stair, the force pulling them both down. Grell's chainsaw was louder than ever and she realized the reaper had caught up to her when she stopped to open the door. Undertaker swung them around and threw up his own massive scythe, stopping the other reaper.

"Oh, look. I made it in time." The white haired man giggled as he kicked up against his scythe's blade where it blocked the other's, knocking Grell back.

"Less talky, more killy."

"Spoken like a true demon's mate."

Undertaker stood, a smile on his face as he waited for the other man to get to his feet. The chainsaw's blade started back up and Serena scurried back. She ran into something hard and turned to see the demon from earlier.

"I'm Teo, by the way." He introduced himself while sliding an arm under her knees to lift the red head and pull her away from the impending fight in front of them.

"Serena."

"You know the consequences of what you're doing, Grell." Undertaker's voice filled the air with an uncharacteristic seriousness.

"I don't care. I'll kill that worthless tart, even if I have to go through you to do it."

"I believe I will take that as a confession."

William T. Spears stood on the outer wall surrounding the mansion. Flanking the reaper were six more, all dressed in suits, with their death scythes out and ready.

"Arrest the grim reaper Grell Sutcliff on grounds of attacking someone not on the To-Die list as well as one act of aggression violating the Council's treaty with the Elders."

"Treaty with the Elders?" Serena looked between the reapers as Teo lowered her back to the ground.

The reapers converged on Grell as a single unit. William stood to the side as they separated the red reaper from his death scythe quickly and wrestled him to the ground. Curses filled the front lawn as Grell was chained and hauled back to his feet. He continued to fight the other men every step of the way as they escorted him off the property. As they passed Serena, Grell made another bid for escape. Teo stepped in front of her to glare at the chained reaper.

William waited until the reapers had fully removed Grell before turning back to Serena. The red head stepped out from behind Teo despite his protest.

"I apologize for this incident, Miss Walton. Sutcliff is a little hard to control." William bowed to the red head.

"Perhaps the problem is your management skills, Mr. Spears." Teo smiled as he dug at the reaper.

"Perhaps you demons should keep a closer eye on your precious mates."

"Maybe if you bloody reapers..."

Serena jumped in between the two men, Teo at her back, and pushed against William's chest.

"Let's all just take a breath here. I think that there has been more than enough fighting tonight."

"Obviously not." The demon bared his teeth.

"Demons can't stand not shedding any blood." William sneered.

"That's enough!" She shoved them both and got nowhere. "Now, I've had enough of this tonight. If you can't be civil than both of you shut up!"

The men stared at Serena as the Undertaker laughed hysterically behind them. She turned back to Teo.

"Is this the famous red-head's temper I've heard so much about?"

"I thank you for saving my life, but why are you here?"

"I seek permission from the Elder to hunt in his territory."

William snorted. "Of course you're looking for a meal."

"Quiet!" She pointed at the reaper before going back to the demon. "Sebastian isn't here at the moment. You're welcome to wait."

"Thank you, my lady." The demon bowed and stepped back.

Serena spun around to address William. "Why are you here?"

"We received a report that Grell had heard about you and was headed in the direction of the Phantomhive house."

"Thank you for stopping him."

William pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. "I need to get back."

He glared the demon that was currently looking around the grounds.

"However, I do not think it is wise to leave that here."

Undertaker giggled behind him. "Don't worry, I'm staying. The council asked me to smooth the Elder's ruffled feathers."

"Very well." William bowed to the other reaper before turning back to Serena. "I apologize again. The vermin is right. It's my job to handle Sutcliff and I failed."

"I wouldn't call it failure. I have a feeling that controlling Grell is..." She struggled to find the right word. "Impossible."

The reaper rubbed his forehead. "I fear that you are correct."

Serena laughed.

"I will assure you that he will be kept on a tighter leash from now on."

"Thank you."

William bowed again and sent one last glare at the demon before taking his leave through the front gate. The red head started to shiver as she finally felt the freezing temperature outside.

 _'There's a reason I told Soma that this outfit was too cold to wear.'_ She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm up. _'Screw that. Everything is too cold to wear here. Why do people fight over this country, anyway? Bunch of frozen dumbasses.'_

She heard Undertaker laugh again as he came up behind her and slid an arm over her shoulders. The man directed her back to the house.

"So, you are a reaper?"

"Shh, that's a secret. I'm retired now."

Teo laughed as he followed behind them into the front hall. "Retired. That's a good one."

"Well, I'm supposed to be."

Serena stopped at the damage she saw. Slashes lined the walls and furniture was either broken or thrown about the rooms that she could see.

"Ciel's going to be..." Her vision blurred as darkness closed in.

"Oh, adrenaline's running out." Undertaker's laugh sounded miles away as the floor rushed up to meet her.

************************A Demon's Mate********************

Serena opened her eyes to see the ceiling of the parlor staring at her. She sat up slowly and looked around. The room was perfect, not a book out of place. In the hall, she was met with the same. Nothing was wrong and the house was empty.

"That was some dream, but I don't remember going to sleep." The red head walked through several rooms before going back into the servant's part of the house. She heard noise from the kitchen and sped up.

"Sebastian?" She pushed the door open quickly, expecting to see the demon making tea or whatever Ciel had ordered this time. Her smile fell when Undertaker and Teo looked up from the small table in the corner. The night's events came rushing back and she rubbed her temples, trying to put off the headache.

"Sorry. Not the demon you're looking for." Teo guided her to another chair at the table and stood back. "The Elder has not returned yet."

"So I guess all that really did happen."

"Yes." Undertaker giggled as he set a cup in front of her.

"How long was I out?"

"Only about a half hour. We figured that you were going to be out the rest of the night."

Serena winced. "I can't believe I fainted. What a girl."

"You are a girl."

"I know but that's such a girly thing to do." She took a sip of from the cup and almost spit it back out.

"It will stop you from going into shock." The reaper giggled as he threw back whatever swill was in his own.

"If it doesn't kill me."

"There's nothing toxic in it."

She put the cup down and went to the pantry. "Chocolate helps with shock too. And tastes a whole hell of a lot better."

Teo laughed and she noticed that there was nothing in front of his seat at the table.

"Would you like something Teo?"

Serena froze, remembering that he was a demon and she just offered to feed him. She turned back and the demon in question was watching her with a smirk, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"Don't worry, my lady. I'm no match for an Elder and I'm well aware of that fact."

"So, I guess that Sebastian is pretty strong then?"

Undertaker burst out laughing so hard the pans hanging from racks fell to the floor. Serena put her hands over her ears to deafen the crash. Both the red head and the demon watched him. Finally, Teo looked back to her and answered as though speaking to a child.

"Yes, the Elder is strong."

"Well, don't make fun of me. It's like I'm an expert on demons or anything." She bristled and bit down on the chocolate bar hard.

"That was hilarious. It was so funny," the reaper smirked. "I believe that it is worth some information."

"Undertaker. The Elder will not be pleased."

"London's demon has no power over me. Besides, I know nothing personal. Only the general knowledge of demons that I have picked up over the years."

Teo shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I suppose that if anyone could stand against him, it would be you."

The reaper giggled into his sleeve. "Of course. Why do you think the council asked me to run interference between them and Mr. Butler?"

"I guess that you're kind of a big deal?" Serena looked at the Undertaker. When he said nothing, Teo answered.

"The Undertaker is a legend, even amongst the demons. It's rumored that he's an ancient, one of the first grim reapers, if not the first himself."

"Wow." She thought for a minute. "Wait, this isn't like the Dread Pirate Roberts thing, is it?"

"What?"

"The Dread Pirate Roberts. It was a pirate that would train a successor when he was ready to retire and the successor would take over the name. That way the legend lived on and everyone thought he was invincible and lived forever."

"No. I'm the only reaper that carried the name Undertaker that I know of." Both of the men laughed.

"Why are you two so chummy? William can't stand demons, but you don't have a problem with Teo or Sebastian."

"That's why Mr. Spears will never move up to being a council member, despite his skills. Even demons have a purpose in the grand scheme of things. As long as they follow the rules, they're nothing to fear." He giggled. "Unless you make a contract with them."

"Demon's respect strength and the reapers are one of the few beings with the strength to kill a demon." Teo answered. "Undertaker is one of the strongest reapers, so he is shown respect."

"There is a fragile balance between the reapers and the demons. It is essential that this balance be kept because of the sheer amount of power both hold. The last time a war occurred between the two, the world was almost destroyed."

Serena stared between the two in shock. "I guess that's the treaty that you were talking about?"

"Exactly. One of the things prohibited by the treaty is attacking a mate that is not on the To-Die list."

"Several mates were lost as they were easy targets for the reapers during the war." Teo supplied.

"Several of the reaper's spouses were lost as well." Undertaker reminded the younger demon.

Serena could feel the tension that started rising.

"Alright, both sides did something that they shouldn't have. Let's all just calm down here."

"The council must realize how serious this is to send out one of the legendary reapers." The demon leaned forward in his seat.

"How serious is it?" The red head looked to Undertaker.

"If I cannot calm your mate, Grell's attack could be seen as a direct break from the treaty that was set up long ago. As he is under Spears, who has a known hatred for demons, it could be considered that his attack was sanctioned." The reaper took a sip from his cup again. "The demons would have an excuse to rise behind your mate and declare war on the reapers all over again."


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: We've had a few **thousand** visitors this month. I'm so excited…again. And I am doing the website. It's in production as we speak…write…read…whatever. I'm going to do a blog from the perspective of a character from the Fallen University series that will be updated weekly!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Eighteen

Undertaker and Teo had remained silent, letting Serena absorb the seriousness of what they had told her as she puttered around the kitchen. The girl appeared to be very interested in whatever mysteries the various cabinets held. Both men knew it was more the opportunity to think that they offered and let her go on.

She turned back to them, still nervous. "Okay, so tonight could start a war?"

"That's correct."

"But you were here." She waved to the reaper. "And William with his little reaper swat team. Teo is a demon and can attest that you all came here to stop Grell. So, we're good."

Teo hunched over the cup that he had taken to make Serena feel better, letting the warmth sink through his fingers. This was going to be interesting and he was glad to have stopped in London. "However, if I hadn't been here, they would have been too late. The Elders will look at them as being a little late on purpose."

"Are you all looking for a reason?"

"I don't believe the Elder has quite explained to you how important a mate's safety is. When a demon's mate dies, that's it. It's over. Demons that have lost their mates go mad. In fact, most of your wide spread tragedies come from an Elder giving in to the evil that they carry inside themselves."

"Not to be offensive, but aren't you all kinda pure evil. Isn't that the point?"

"No. We carry evil and has a rather cruel disposition. We wouldn't have been made demons if we didn't. However, that is tempered by common sense. Most demons are incredibly intelligent, probably due to our long lifespan, that helps as well. Elders carry the most evil within, therefore they have the capacity for the most destruction."

"What is the deal with Elders?!" Serena threw her hands up as she slammed another cabinet door shut.

"Because Elders are soul eaters."

"Don't all demons eat souls?" She came back to the table and sat down. Undertaker seemed to be content with his cup of swill and listened.

"No." Teo laughed. "All demons feed from humans, but what we take is dependent on our power level."

"Okay."

"For instance. You're human legends about vampires. The lowest power level and normally the youngest demons, feed on a human's blood. They haven't learned to pull essence and need a physical feeding."

"Well, damn. Aren't all those Dracula fans going to be pissed?"

"What?"

Serena thought for a moment before looking to Undertaker. "It's not written yet, is it?"

"Probably not, though it sounds very interesting." He giggled into his sleeve.

The demon leaned into her personal space. "You know the future?"

"I shouldn't have said that." She tried to back away but Teo came with her.

"Not your best idea." Undertaker threw his death scythe between them, making Teo pull back. "Miss Serena is actually from the future. No one seems to know why she has brought here. I would remind you of the task at hand and who you would be against if you tried to take her away."

"Right," Teo straightened back up in his chair. "Next are demons that feed on essence. These comprise the majority of demons. They feed on high emotions connected to sins. Lust and anger for example. There is really no lasting effect. Like blood, you all regenerate it in a few days."

"But Ciel's contract is about anger. So, why does Sebastian get his soul in the end?"

"No, the little Earl's contract is about wrath." Undertaker slid an arm over Serena shoulders. "Anyone can be angry. Anger is a normal emotion and normally set aside. But wrath, that's a different apple. Wrath grows, feeds on it's owner until it is all consuming and you would do anything in it's grip."

"Like sell your own soul to a demon." She whispered.

"Exactly. Our little Earl still feels it, burning just beneath the surface." Undertaker giggled, stroking a piece of her hair. "Once a soul has given over to wrath, there is no escaping it. Demon's that feed on souls consumed with wrath, hold that wrath within themselves forever. It is why they are so particular about their meals."

"So, basically all that wrath could explode at any given time?"

"Exactly," said a voice that didn't belong to any of them.

All three jumped up as the voice spread through the mansion. Teo and Undertaker moved quickly, pushing Serena into a corner and standing in front of her. The reaper had his scythe ready, an unusually serious expression on his scarred face.

A knock sounded from the servant's entrance, just off the kitchen.

"That's not Sebastian."

"No, it's someone older and with a different power than Mr. Butler. His voice is his power." The reaper nodded for Teo to answer the door.

He went forward slowly, anticipation making his power level rise. Serena squeezed closer to Undertaker, her hands fisting in flowing, black coat he wore. Her head dropped against his back, burying in his soft hair, while her mind called for Sebastian.

 _'Where are you?'_ There was no answer.

Teo opened the door, ready to attack.

"Elder."

Serena popped her head over Undertaker's shoulder, unable to take the anticipation any longer. The demon had stepped back and dropped to the floor. His head was bowed as a tall man swept into the house.

He wore robes of black, reminding her of old priests. Chestnut hair with hints of red was tied at the back of his neck. His skin was pale, almost glowing in the dim candlelight. The demon was just as beautiful as the others that she had seen but carried himself with an air of authority that none of them had possessed.

"Haagenti. What brings you to London?" Undertaker lowered his scythe a fraction.

"Probably the same thing that brings you out tonight." His voice was musical, intoxicating. Serena shook her head against the reaper's back, trying to clear the fog it caused.

"I see the news has already spread."

"The Fallen have given orders for everyone to remain silent for the time being. Especially to... Sebastian is the name he's using right now. They have sent me to investigate this issue before we decide how we will proceed." The demon laughed softly, the notes weaving around everyone. "The council choose well in their representative. I thought that you were retired."

The reaper put his scythe down slowly. "I have already had dealings with Sebastian and his mate."

"Speaking of which."

Undertaker stepped away, pulling Serena out of the corner. Haagenti waved her forward.

"Come here, child. I accepted this assignment because of my curiosity. I want to see what that boy has been given."

She walked forward slowly. Fear and suspicion made her movements slow. When she finally stood before the Elder, he circled her. The feeling of being read to her very soul consumed the girl and raised her tension level.

The demon picked up a lock of her hair and she jerked away.

"Hey! You said see, not touch."

Haagenti laughed, coming back to look her in the face. "Good. It takes a strong soul to hold a demon. That's what a mate is essentially."

"What?"

"They are a tether. A permanent chain that holds the demon and all the power that they possess in their control." He moved to the table and held out a chair for Serena. "Sit. I see that boy has not explained your position well."

"Why do you keep calling Sebastian, 'that boy'? Isn't he an Elder too?" She sat carefully, keeping an eye on the Elder demon.

"I suppose it is hard for me to see him that way. I was your mate's mentor when he first woke as a demon." Haagenti sat gracefully in the seat that Teo once occupied. The other demon took up residence behind the Elder, staying silent.

"Really?" Serena leaned forward on the table. "So, I suppose that out of everyone here that you would know the most about him then."

"I will not tell you anything."

"Damn it!" She pouted. "A mentor, a lackey, and an enemy and I still get bubkis."

"Later, you will visit me and I will tell you. He was quite amusing during his training." Haagenti smiled at her expression. "I have a feeling that you will be just as amusing."

"Well, I'm glad that this night has been fun for somebody."

"Ah, yes. Back to the subject at hand. I would like you to explain what happened here tonight. Where is Sebastian?" The demon sat back in his seat.

"Ciel and Sebastian went out on one of the Earl's cases."

Haagenti held up a hand. "What do you mean cases?"

"Ciel, Sebastian's contract, is an agent of the Queen. He rules the underground of London. Occasionally, she will send him to investigate certain matters that the public cannot know about."

The Elder's low chuckle filled the room. "He certainly finds the interesting ones. That was why you were here alone?"

"Yes. They decided that it was too dangerous for the little woman to tag along." Bitterness was evident as she pouted.

"Bringing us back to the importance of a mate. Go on."

"I was looking around the house when I heard something from the front hall. I thought that they had already come back. Instead I found Grell."

"I am not familiar with this Grell." He turned to Undertaker. "Is this against his normal behavior?"

"Unfortunately, no. Sutcliff is a bit like a force of nature. His power and skill is how he keeps getting a pass from the Council. Grell is a remarkable reaper, but hard to control. That's why he has been kept at a lower level of the organization. His skill is more than welcomed as a manager, however his high emotions work against him."

"I see." He nodded. "Did he speak to you at all before he attacked you, Serena?"

"He accused me of trying to steal his man."

Undertaker and Haagenti burst out laughing. Serena felt her own bubbling at the situation. Teo watched them all not understanding.

"But demons and reapers do not have relationships." The younger was obviously confused. "Normally, we can't stand each other."

"That's why it's funny."

Haagenti coughed, stifling his amusement.

"Is there, to your knowledge, any relationship between Sebastian and the reaper Grell Sutcliff?"

"No."

"Is there an interest in a relationship?"

"No. Grell just thinks there is."

The demon laughed again. "What happened next?"

"I was running through the house. Grell was in front of the door, so like an idiot, I ran up the stairs." Serena rubbed her forehead, trying to hide her embarrassment and the headache it caused.

Teo stepped into Haagenti's line of sight. "That is where I came in."

"Why were you here Teo?"

"I had come to gain permission to feed while in London, Elder."

"Good. Go on."

"Teo was fighting Grell and I went down the servant's stairs after he told me to run. Undertaker was coming up the front steps of the house when I went outside. Grell was right behind me, William and his reapers were right behind Undertaker."

"So the reapers were responding to the threat? Al bet, a little slowly."

"We were unaware of Sutcliff's intentions. As soon as we were, we acted." Undertaker giggled. "I will admit that it was a good thing that Teo was here, however, I believe that Miss Serena could have held him off long enough for myself to arrive."

"Perhaps." Haagenti turned his attention to the red head. "Do you believe that you could have held off the reaper long enough?"

"Oh, absolutely."

Teo raised an eyebrow and she got defensive. "I could have. Maybe. Possibly. If the dress hadn't been tripping me, I'd have been fine."

"Yeah, that's why you got an impromptu haircut," Teo said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Serena gasped and pulled her hair forward. One section was three inches shorter than it used to be.

"That rat bastard." She whispered while stroking her hair.

Haagenti's eyes narrowed. "So, the reaper did cut you."

The girl heard the seriousness in Haagenti's voice and threw the hair behind her to hide it.

"I'm fine. It's just hair."

"Regardless, the reaper's deathscythe did touch your person."

She threw her hands up. "Are you looking for a reason to start something? Because it's not going to be me. I'm fine. Teo was here, Undertaker was here, William was here and Grell was carted off in chains. That's good enough for me. So, find something else to start a fight about."

"I still don't think that you understand the severity of what happened here tonight. If the reapers believe that we will overlook such an occurrence, it could open the gateway for those that do not agree with the soul that has been chosen for a mate to circumvent the system. To kill them before they ever meet their demon."

"I highly doubt that will happen." Undertaker finally spoke up.

"I'm well acquainted with this William T. Spears." Haagenti stared at Serena. "Has he never said anything about you not accepting Sebastian?"

She thought back to the demon in London and her first meeting with William and Ronald. "Well, not in so many words. He said something about running toward the darkness and that I had made my decision…for now."

The demon waved his hand. "See. It's already started."

"I agree that Will's hatred of demons can be a bit extreme, however he is perfectly capable of staying within the rules. It is not against the treaty for him to have contact with a demon's mate."

"And it's not like I was too keen on the idea at the time." Serena felt the need to butt in.

"Elder, why are you not more upset about this?" Teo came forward. "One of our mates almost died, it was mere coincidence that I was here or that Grell said something to another reaper. And yet, you're contemplating looking the other way."

The Elder growled at the younger demon. "As if you know what is in my thoughts."

"Forgive me, Elder." Teo bowed on the floor again. "I was out of line."

"However, I admit that I'm not as angry about this as I was when I arrived. Even after hearing that a deathscythe touched one of our mates." He glared at Undertaker. "What have you done, reaper?"

He giggled and spoke in a sing song voice. "I have done nothing. But I know who did."

The reaper pointed to Serena.

"Me? I didn't do anything. I certainly don't know how to put one over on a demon."

"You don't have to do anything. You simply have to be." He watched their confusion. "Your name is your power. Serenity is what you bring to those close to you. It's probably how you were able to get the Earl to trust you, when he trusts no one. A very useful power for a being that will mate a demon of wrath."

The man laughed into his sleeve, staring at the red head. The two demons watched her carefully.

"Very interesting." Haagenti looked to the front of the house. "It seems our discussion is over."

 _'Serena? Are you alright?'_

 _'I'm fine. There are people here to see you.'_

The front door was heard opening through a bell in the kitchen to signal the Master's arrival. Serena jumped up and headed for the door.

"They're back." She turned back to the others absentmindedly before going through the door. "Stay here."

Undertaker laughed at the order. "Oh, she'll do just fine as an Elder's mate."  
When Serena came into the hallway, Sebastian was closing the repaired front door. She heard pounding and saw Ciel hurrying up the stairs, the tails of the taller butler's coat dragging behind him.

"Ciel?"

"Not now," he yelled back.

Serena jumped as the door slammed upstairs. Hearing a growl, she turned to see Sebastian leaning over her.

"Why do you smell like another demon?" He growled as he looked down at her. "Two other demons."

The stress of the night came out as she grabbed the black fabric of his tie and pulled the demon to her eye level.

"Now you listen here, buddy. With the night that I have had, I'm in no mood for your jealous bullshit." The girl jerked the tie. "Is that understood?"

She waited for him to nod before letting go of his tie.

"Good. I'm glad that we understand each other. Now then, Undertaker and a demon and another Elder are waiting to speak to you in the kitchen." Serena lifted her skirts as she started up the stairs.

"Why are Undertaker and another Elder here?"

"Just...shit hit the fan here tonight. But we've all discussed it, we're over it, and we're all going to move on now." She waved him off while going up the stairs

Sebastian stared at the door to the house's kitchen for a moment as his mate disappeared into the upper level. He had felt the power of another demon as the carriage had drawn closer, but it was not an Elder's. Inside the house, it's level was staggering. Someone used their power inside almost every room. Nothing looked out of place, exactly as whoever had done it had intended. As soon as Serena had said Elder, he recognized his old mentor and knew that wasn't who it was.

 _'Well, no other way to find out. I do not believe that Serena is going to tell me.'_

************************A Demon's Mate********************

"Ciel?" Serena knocked softly on the Earl's bedroom door.

"Leave me."

The voice was forceful, holding panic. With a sigh, she opened the door anyway and stepped inside. Ciel was pacing in front of the fireplace while holding the iron poker. The teen's other hand was clutching Sebastian coat closed around his body. His eyes were wild when she entered and he brought the poker up in front of him.

"Ciel? What happened?" She reached a hand out but stopped when he jerked away.

"Don't touch me!" The teen backed into the wall, sliding down it. "Just don't touch me."

"Did something go wrong?"

"Wrong?" He laughed derisively and threw the poker down. "This whole plan was wrong!"

 _'Serena?'_

 _'We're fine. Concentrate on that issue.'_

Ciel took off the bangles that jingled on his wrist and threw them across the room. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "I don't know how you talked me into this."

Suddenly, the conversation they had had at the mansion came rushing back to her. When the Earl had told her about what happened to him after the mansion burned and his parents had been murdered. What had happened to push him into making a deal with a demon.

"Ciel." Her voice was soft as she tried to reach him.

"Don't." The teen shot up from his position to glare at her, his contract mark blazing. "Don't you dare pity me!"

"It's not pity." She tried to come closer but he started to pace all over again.

"No one feels sorry for me. I'm Ciel, Earl of Phantomhive. The Queen's Guard Dog and ruler of London's underworld. I made the Funtom company into a world leader. I...I..." His voice cracked. "I..."

Serena reached out a hand that he didn't back away from. She touched him lightly, afraid to spook him. When he didn't pull away, the girl wrapped her arms around Ciel and guided him to put his head on her shoulder. She didn't say anything about the wetness she felt on her skin as his knees let go and they knelt on the floor.

****************************A Demon's Mate**************************

Sebastian entered the kitchens to see Undertaker and Haagenti sitting at the small table. A young demon that he didn't know stood behind them. The two at the table stood when he entered, their expressions giving nothing away.

"My, my. I wonder what I have done to warrant such guests in my current home." He nodded to the other demon. "Haagenti."

"Boy."

"I'm an Elder in my own right, Mentor. Perhaps you could stop calling me that." Sebastian shook his head.

The other demon waved him off. "As I told your mate, I highly doubt it."

"Undertaker. What brings you here?"

The reaper giggled. "Oh, it will wait for a moment."

Sebastian looked to the young demon, waiting patiently. He waved the other forward and he knelt in front of London's Elder.

"Elder, I am Teo. I ask permission to hunt while passing through your territory."

"Where is your destination?"

"Manchester, Elder."

Sebastian crossed his arms as he looked down at the younger.

"I did not think that it was customary for you to wait inside my home, with my mate."

Haagenti stepped forward. "We will explain that. He's done more than enough this night to be allowed hunting rights."

"Really? Is it your power I sensed had been used in my home?"

"Yes, Elder." Teo kept his head down and tried to hide the nervous tremor in his voice.

Haagenti laid a hand on Teo's shoulder. "As I said, we will explain that. For now, only know that it was necessary."

"Very well. I will give you leave to hunt within London."

"Thank you, Elder." Teo stood and bowed to the room. "I will leave now, if it pleases you."

Sebastian waved toward the back door that had opened on its own. The younger demon bowed once more to each of them and took off. He didn't want to be anywhere near this house when they informed the Elder of what had happened here tonight.

"Now, are you going to tell me what happened in my absence?"

A thump came from the floor above them and Sebastian reached out to his mate.

"Your Master is a little...unhinged this evening."

"A passing occurrence." He waved it off and turned back to the others.

"Your mate seems rather attached to him, boy. That could be a problem."

"An unfortunate reality that is being dealt with, I assure you. Why are you stalling?"

"Very well," Haagenti sighed and waved them all to sit. "You're mate received a visit this evening from a Grell Sutcliff."

Sebastian rolled his eyes as he took the seat that his mate had sat in. He could still feel the warmth from her body on the cushion.

"You see, even he brushes the incident off." The reaper took a sip from his now cold cup.

"Undertaker. Would you like to tell him the rest of it then?"

The reaper leaned forward. "The Council admits that Grell attacked Serena using his deathscythe with the intent to collect her soul. However, the Council responded to this threat and your mate was unharmed by the night's events."

"What?!"

************************A Demon's Mate*************************

Ciel pulled away from Serena, keeping his head down so she wouldn't see his tear-streaked face. The red head kept a hand on his back as he pulled a lord's arrogance back around him like a shield. She realized that she had some of the gold dust that had once coated his skin on her dress.

"Why don't I get a washcloth and we'll get some of this stuff off you."

Ciel nodded, not trusting his voice to speak yet. Serena stood slowly and headed into the adjoining bathroom. There was a pitcher and basin already waiting by the sink and a small towel hung on the bar next to it. The girl thanked whoever was listening that indoor plumbing had already been invented as she filled the bowl with warm water.

When she came back out, Ciel was sitting in the chair in front of the fireplace. His still clutched the coat but was quickly returning to his normal, surly attitude. Serena put the bowl on the table next to him and pulled the matching ottoman up next to his feet.

"You're going to have to take off the coat."

The Earl started, as though he had forgotten that she was there. Slowly, he slid the fabric from his shoulders and she saw the faint bruises that had started to bloom on his arms. Serena didn't say anything, only took the tailcoat from him. She whistled at the gold dust that coated the inside.

"Even Sebastian is going to have a hard time getting that out." She laughed and set the coat aside.

Serena dipped the cloth in the bowl and reached for Ciel's arm. He jerked away.

"I can do it."

"Well, I was hoping that you would tell me what happened tonight while we got this off." She smiled at him.

He huffed and held out his arm. "Fine."

"So, I'm guessing that it didn't go well?"

"It was a disaster."

She ran the cloth lightly up his arm as Ciel's head fell back against the chair.

"You didn't find the kidnap victims?"

"No, we found them. He had them set up as living statues throughout the estate with hoods over their heads. Definitely arrogant, not obsessed."

"They didn't try to get away?"

"The only ones that he used were those that were already scared to death. They were quite hard to move."

"Too scared to get away?"

"They were scared of people finding out what happened to them, being killed, being further tortured. The usual. That fear kept them from trying."

Serena smiled at his returning attitude.

"Sebastian was able to round them up while I kept the Colonel busy."

The cloth ghosted over a set of finger-sized bruises.

"I assume the dance worked."

He didn't answer.

"You froze, huh?"

"He seemed to like that more."

She looked up at the haunted tone. Ciel was staring straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the flames dancing in the fireplace. A shiver stole through his body and pulled him back to the present. The red head took his hand, rubbing her thumb across his fingers.

"But you got him in the end."

Ciel laughed low. "Yes. I believe that he'll be in Bedlam until his execution. Sebastian left quite the impression on our dear Colonel."

Serena shivered and realized that she had felt the spike of power wrap around her body. Suddenly, the entire house started to shake from the foundation. Paintings fell off the walls they were mounted to as the two watched the chandelier shake above them. Ciel grabbed Serena and pulled her into a corner as the massive piece of glass and crystal fell to the floor.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Hell is exactly what's going on." The red head stood and tried to keep her balance as she headed for the door. "It has to be Sebastian. They must have told him what happened."

"What are you talking about?!" Ciel yelled over the sounds of crashing as he followed her to the stairs.

"Grell was here tonight and kind of tried to kill me."

"What did you do?" They tripped down the last few stairs and stopped in the doorway to the dining room. It was the fastest way to the kitchen.

"It's not like I went looking for him." She made a run for the servant's door with Ciel right behind her. "Undertaker said something like that it could start a war between the reapers and demons. I guess he wasn't lying."

"Why are you so much trouble?! I have more than enough problems without you adding to them."

In the kitchen, Haagenti and Undertaker were yelling at a black hole in the center of the room. It took her a moment to realize it was shaped like a man. Utensils, pans, chairs and pieces of cabinet were whirling around the black hole and the other two men had their arms up, trying to shield themselves from the flying debris.

"Sebastian, stop this right now!" Ciel yelled at the black figure in the center of the room with his contract mark glowing.

Both of the humans jerked back when a bone shaking growl came their direction.

"Well, that didn't work." She said under her breath.

The Earl gave her a little push. "You do something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. You're supposed to be his mate."

"He's right." Haagenti suddenly appeared next to them. "You calmed me just by being near and I have no connection to you. You have to get closer."

The demon pulled her into his side, shielding her from the debris coming toward them. He made his way toward the other Elder slowly, taking several blows without a flinch. The wind picked up the closer that they came to the epicenter of the powerstorm.

"Talk to him!"

"Sebastian! Calm down, everything is fine. I told you that we already talked about it."

Haagenti looked down as he realized that they were being pulled, by the force of the wind, into Sebastian and he was taking more damage the closer they got. The demon quickly ran through their options, not liking any of them.

"You're the only one that can talk him down." The Elder yelled to her. He let go of Serena and jumped back to the outer fringes of the room.

As soon as she wasn't held by the other demon, Serena was pulled into the very center of the storm. Although he seemed a black hole, she hit a solid body. As soon as they touched, red eyes opened and stared down at the girl. The wind died down a little around them.

"Sebastian, please. You have to stop."

"Do something!"

She looked back to Ciel. The Earl was able to stand straight, as well as the other two men beside him, but the wind was still ripping around them. The eyes continued to stare at her. The longer they were in contact she could see the demon filling back out, coming back out of the darkness of himself.

Making a decision, Serena pulled Sebastian down. She looked into his eyes one last time before bringing her lips to his.

The wind died down until it was nothing and the houses shaking stopped completely. As the three watched, the kitchen righted itself. They looked through the doorway and saw the other room back to normal. The trio looked back to the center to see Sebastian back in his butler's uniform still holding Serena tight against him, their mouths still fused.

"Well, that's not exactly what I had in mind."

Undertaker and Haagenti laughed at the blush stealing over the Earl's face.


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: Part II of a two part post tonight.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Nineteen

Serena pulled away when she heard someone cough. Peeking behind Sebastian, she saw all three men were still there. And all of them were staring at her. Undertaker and Haagenti were leering while Ciel was an interesting shade of crimson, all the way to the tips of his ears.

"Right." She untangled herself from a smirking Sebastian and ducked her head. "I'm just going to go upstairs and die of embarrassment. I assume that you're better now?"

"Very much so," the demon purred as he smirked down on her.

"Don't say it like that!"

Serena hunched in on herself and hurried to the door. The three moved aside quickly to let her pass. Ciel turned to follow.

"Finish your business quickly. There are other things to take care of tonight." The Earl walked out, his head held high, without looking at his butler.

"Very interesting." Haagenti mussed. "You've certainly found an amusing set of humans this time."

"If we're finished, I will report back to the council. I have my own business to finish this night." Undertaker giggled into his sleeve. "And I'm sure you do as well."

"You're correct. I will wait to see what punishment your Council decides for Sutcliff. However, I will have a hand in it." His eyes flashed for a moment. "If any reaper approaches my mate again, they're dead and damn your treaty."

"I will tell them."

Undertaker nodded to Haagenti before sweeping out the back door.

"I will take my leave as well. I'm sure the Fallen will be satisfied with your decision. Your mate made it very clear that she would not tolerate being the reason for demons renewing their hostility with the reapers. Which will satisfy the other Elders." He laughed. "A mate's wishes always come first."

"Thank you for coming tonight."

Haagenti came forward and put a hand on his former fledgling's shoulder. "I am very happy for you. Serena is lovely and well suited to you."

"Thank you." Sebastian bowed to the other demon with a smile.

The demon nodded. "Now, since this is settled, I will be getting back to my own mate and leave you to yours."

"Goodnight, Elder Haagenti."

"Goodnight, boy."

Sebastian shook his head as Haagenti swept back out the door. His tongue darted out to catch the last of Serena's taste on his lips as he heard his mate pacing in her room. Undertaker was right, there was unfinished business to take care of.

 _'But first, I must get my Master settled for the night."_

 _**********************_ A Demon's Mate*********************

Serena bolted into her room and threw the latch.

 _'Not that I think that will keep him out.'_

The red head walked to the window, but saw her reflection in the vanity mirror. After the night she had had, the girl expected to look like a wreck. Instead, her eyes were bright and her cheeks flushed a rosy hue. Her hair was tousled from Sebastian's hands running through it and floated around her body in a cloud. She put a hand to her lips, swollen and red from the demon's kiss. The rips and tears all through the precious silk that Soma had given her looked as though they belonged there, making the look all the more appealing. Patches of the gold dust that had been transferred from Ciel's skin made her look as though touched by some divine being.

 _'I look like I just went a round with a lover instead of reapers and demons and an emotionally stunted earl.'_ Serena rubbed her bottom lip. _'I bet it would be a great round though.'_

She shook her head at the thought. On the small table next to the window sat a pitcher of water and a glass. Serena poured a glass and drank it all, but nothing was going to rid her the taste of sweet vanilla with a hint of heat beneath it.

 _'He tastes just like he smells. Delicious. Don't think like that! He's a demon, remember? Not long ago I was freaking out about him taking me home with him. But, I could have all the access that I wanted to him there. No Ciel giving orders, no contract to follow. No people to get in the way.'_

Her mind filled with the possibilities of having Sebastian all to herself.

 _'Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Ciel isn't a problem and neither is anyone else. I've never been swayed by sex and I'm not going to start now.'_ Visions of her friends with their significant others flashed in her mind, as well as the wish that she could feel the same way. _'Maybe there's a reason that I've never been that interested? I've dated people, but it was never that big a deal. I was never preoccupied with anyone that I had gone out with. I even tried a girl, thinking that was the problem. But, it was just the same as everyone else.'_

Serena held onto the curtain and stared at the back garden.

 _'Was I waiting for Sebastian?'_

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Sebastian opened the door to Serena's room shortly after the Earl had fallen asleep. The master had ordered that his butler stay until he fell asleep again. The request was not unexpected after he had been so upset earlier. Thankfully, it had not taken long for the exhausted human to fall into sleep's comforting abyss.

Serena was still up, brushing her hair while seated at the vanity. She looked up as he came in. Because she had never changed out of the Indian clothing that Soma had given her, it had been easy to get into her nightwear without assistance. His eyes narrowed at the sight of one of the Master's nightshirts in place of one of the long nightgowns he had stocked her wardrobe with.

"Are you wearing one of my Master's nightshirts?"

"Yeah, it's easier to move around in than that long gown. Easier to breathe too, without that high neck." She smoothed a hand over the soft cotton as she stood. The red head twirled in a small circle and Sebastian was given a tantalizing glimpse of upper legs as the shirt lifted slightly with the wind. When it settled, the bottom hem of the shirt came almost to her hips on the sides. "And it's not so hot to sleep in."

"How did you get it?" He asked, his voice slightly hoarse as she sat back down. The shirt crept up her legs when she went back to her hair.

"I 'borrowed' it from the laundry. Is Ciel asleep?"

"Yes, I apologize for the Master's behavior tonight."

"I would think that his was more excusable than yours." A thin eyebrow raised as she looked at the demon through the mirror's reflection.

Sebastian blinked, not knowing what to say.

"You think less of him for breaking down? He just had a living memory of why he called for you in the first place and you think it's wrong that he lost it."

"My Master does not lose his composure so easily."

She slammed the brush down. "You don't get it."

"I'm sorry?"

Serena spun around on the padded stool, anger radiating from her.

"I know that you practically raised Ciel, and that he takes more after you then he probably ever did Vincent. Hell, he even thinks like a demon and I've seen that look on your face sometimes when he makes a decision that you would make." The red head stood. The roaring fire in the hearth gave a perfect backdrop for her mood.

"What look?"

"The same look a proud father gives his son when he does something right, or in your case, devious." She brushed past his shock. "But, at his core, Ciel is still human. He still has the same needs as any other human. He still needs comfort and to know that he's not alone."

"I believe that you are reading more into this than there is."

"You once told me that demons still had emotions, that they were just buried." She waited for his nod. "Ciel is just the same. He never moved past what was done to him. Inside, he's still that ten year old boy who watched his parents die and his home burn to the ground. He's still the child that was raped by some disgusting old man and then tossed away when he wasn't usable anymore. He's still the boy that was about to be sacrificed to a demon, but made a contract with him instead. He just swept all that under the rug and tonight he was breaking his own neck tripping over it."

Sebastian stayed quiet, letting her words sink in.

"You said that you still feel loneliness? Ciel is still tortured by what happened to him. Yes, he lost it tonight. So did you. You damn near brought the house down and killed all of us. But yet, you'll stand there and criticize him for the same thing." She looked him in the eye. "Do you get it now?"

Sebastian bowed, his voice quiet. "You're right. I apologize."

He stood as she brushed past him to look out the window again. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach as she stared out at the small garden he had created in the back of the townhouse. The demon picked up a piece of her now shorter hair, glaring at the cut.

"I asked before, but are you alright?" Sebastian laid his hands on her shoulders and moved to rub her arms slowly. He smiled when she didn't pull away.

"I'm fine. Teo was here to slow him down and Undertaker was ready to fight Grell. And...and..." She sniffled. "Where were you? I kept calling and calling and you never answered."

He didn't know what to say when she turned.

"Everyone keeps telling me how important a mate is. How important I am, but you weren't there. Teo was there, Undertaker was there, William was there." She shook her head as a tear fell down her cheek. "But you didn't come."

"I know, and that is something that I will live with for the rest of eternity." Sebastian slid a hand through her hair.

"Why weren't you there? I called for you. I kept calling." Serena finally broke and went into his arms.

"I couldn't hear you. Until our mating is complete, I have to be so close to hear you." The demon held his mate as she cried out her tension on his chest. He rubbed her back in circles that he hoped were soothing as she held onto him.

 _'Is this that need for comfort that you were talking about?'_

 _'This goes better if you shut up.'_

 _'Very well.'_ Sebastian laughed at her irritation.

A while later, Serena pulled away from him slowly. The red head wiped underneath her eyes and ran a hand through her hair to push it back from her face. She saw him smirking down at her.

"What?" She smoothed the shirt back down. "I know that I probably look awful but it's not a good idea to laugh at me for it."

"I wasn't thinking that." She heard a purr as he ran the back of his knuckles down her throat to the skin exposed by the two buttons that she had left open. "You look beautiful."

"Whoa!" Serena jumped back, waving her hands in front of her. "Don't even think about that."

"Oh, it's far too late." His voice dropped to a growl. "Especially now that I've had a taste."

Panic widened her eyes as he bent down to pick her up. The demon's smirk stayed on his face as he carried her to the bed. Her arms went around his shoulders on instinct.

"Sebastian, I really..."

He sighed as the blankets and sheets were pushed back by an unseen hand. Serena watched him carefully as he laid her gently in the cool sheets. She kept her eyes on the demon as she shifted further away on the soft mattress.

"Shh. I know." Sebastian laid a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Serena nodded and settled against the pillows. A yawn escaped before she could stop it.

"Sorry. Tonight's been kind of exhausting. A part of me wishes that I could just sleep for a week." She turned to lay on her side and smiled up at him.

"Master will wish to return to the manor tomorrow. I expect right after breakfast. So, there will be no time for sleeping." Sebastian pulled the sheets and blanket up to her shoulder.

"You could have humored me, lied a little."

"Demon's do not possess the ability to lie."

Serena sat up, awake again. "What?"

"Is that so shocking?" He watched her slyly, out of the corner of his eye as he knelt to stoke the fire.

"I thought that Ciel just ordered you not to lie to him."

"I cannot lie to anyone. I can twist the truth, omit certain facts, tell only half-truths or not say anything at all, but I cannot outright lie. Only humans possess that trait." The demon came back to the bed's side, almost laughing at her expression.

She flopped back on the bed. "Well, that's good to know."

"Go to sleep. There will time to talk tomorrow."

He started to leave but stopped when something tugged on his coat. The demon turned back to see Serena holding onto one of his tails.

"Stay."

Sebastian smiled. "Of course."

He stepped away to remove his extra layers. He could have easily willed the clothing away, but he was aware that Serena was still watching him. The demon took advantage of the eyes he could feel watching. He moved much slower than was necessary, exaggerating his stripping. He could hear Serena's heartbeat speed up as she watched. He could smell the sweet scent of her reaction to him.

When Sebastian was finally down to his dress shirt, trousers and silk socks, he slid into the sheets that Serena had pulled down for him. The demon was slightly surprised when she cuddled around his body, laying her head on his chest. His arm curled easily to rest on her hip.

"I was wondering something since I came in," he said quietly in the dark.

"What's that?"

"Why did I not see your undergarments with the high cut of the shirt."

Serena chuckled. "Because I'm not wearing any."

She heard the groan magnified through his skin.

"Are you certain that you are tired?"

"We're not there yet, Sebastian. So, just put a leash on yourself buddy." She yawned and rubbed her cheek against his shirt. "I don't like to rush a relationship into sex. It never works out well."

Serena gasped as she was flipped onto her back, Sebastian leaning over her.

"What do you mean, you don't like to rush into sex? Are you not a virgin?"

"No."

The demon bolted from the bed. Serena sat up and watched as he paced in front of the fireplace.

"This isn't right. No mate of a demon has felt sexual desire for any other. Before or after their mating."

"Well, that answers that question."

"What question?"

Serena couldn't look at him as she explained and instead picked at the fibers in the sheet. "I wondered why I never felt the need for sex that my friends always did."

"But you have been intimate with a man?"

"Yes."

Sebastian came back to lean on the bed next to her.

"You were forced."

"I didn't say that."

"I do not understand."

"Sebastian," she rubbed her forehead. "In twenty first century America, it's incredibly hard to find a virgin over the age of 15."

"The marriage age has come down?"

"The marriage age has gone up. It's kind of become the thing to do, marriage is not something to do until your twenties or even thirties, but sex is expected to happen in your teens."

"But, you said that you did not feel desire and were not forced."

"It was expected, Sebastian. I was sick of everyone calling me the Ice Princess because I never went out with anyone. I finally did and Brandon just would not let go. I thought maybe I would feel something if I did it, so I did. I never felt anything. It was just painful."

"So you did something that you didn't want to do because of social expectation."

"It's called peer pressure in the 21st century. And it's a bitch." She shook her head with sigh. "I still don't get what the big deal is. All my friends talked about how great it was, how connected they felt, but I felt more alone than ever. It was just awkward. It didn't help that he then told all of his friends and before the end of school the next day I had become the biggest whore in town. And why am I telling you all this?"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow before smiling. The demon moved in close, pushing the hair she was hiding behind, away. He put his hands on either side of her body, caging her in once again. His voice was low, dangerous against her throat.

"I could show you what the big deal is."

She shuddered as his mouth moved against her skin. He left soft kisses against her throat, working his way slowly to her mouth. She sighed when he finally reached his destination. A warm tongue slid against bottom lip, asking for entrance.

Serena felt his purr over her tongue when she opened to him and it shot straight through her entire body. She couldn't stop the moan as that same taste of sweet vanilla with it's undercurrent of spices that she remembered from earlier flooded her mouth. Her fingers slid through the blackest hair that was softer than silk as she pressed her body against his, needing to be closer.

There was no sweeter feeling than being between the soft mattress and Sebastian. Smooth, leather gloves were no barrier for the heat of his hands on her skin. But, it was the feeling of butter soft leather instead of skin moving up her thigh and sliding under the shirt that struck her as wrong and pulled her out of the moment.

"Sebastian," she panted as she pulled away. The demon wasn't deterred. His mouth moved to press kisses along her jaw to running his tongue lightly over the throbbing vein in her exposed neck.

"Sebastian stop."

She gave him points in her head. The minute she had asked, he stopped. However, his hands remained where they had stopped. His thumb still brushed over her hip lightly and she grabbed his wrist.

"No."

Sebastian's head dropped to her shoulder. "You are certain?"

"Yes."

The demon sighed and rolled away from her warmth. Serena was afraid to look at him, expecting the same recriminations that had been heaped on her by every man she had dated. She rolled onto her side, staring at the wall as memories of Brandon rose and she wanted to throw up.

Sebastian felt the shift in her emotions. Smelled it, as sweet arousal and want changed to fear and then shame. Fighting his own want, the demon moved to curl around her. He felt his mate stiffen as his touch and smelled the salt of tears.

"Shh," he kissed her shoulder that had been exposed by the nightshirt. "I am willing to wait. It will make our joining all the sweeter when you do accept me, my mate."

Her voice was still thick with tears as she laughed. "Then what is that pressing into my butt?"

"Just a reminder. I am more than ready whenever you are."

"A reminder?" She laughed.

"If you don't wish to return to our previous activity, I would advise that you ignore it, as I am trying to do."

Serena laughed as he kissed her shoulder again.

***********************A Demon's Mate***********************

Sebastian had been right. As soon as she came into the dining room, Ciel announced that they would be returning to the country as soon as they finished eating. He had already ordered Sebastian to make the arrangements for their departure. She was happy to see that the Earl was back to his normal, bossy self, as though the night before had never happened.

The demon smirked while setting the red head's plate in front of her as if to say 'I told you so.'

Breakfast was mostly silent, Ciel was checking the paper for news of last night's arrest as he ate. He seemed to be a little embarrassed to look at Serena and she was happy to leave him be. They were interrupted by a knock on the front door. Both noticed the stiffness that surrounded the butler as Sebastian left them to answer it.

"Are you expecting someone?"

"Not that I'm aware of." Ciel took a sip of his tea and waited.

Sebastian came back in, a dangerous smile on his face.

"Serena. Ronald Knox has requested to speak to you."

"Isn't he a reaper?" She looked up as the demon pulled her chair back for her and held out a hand to help her stand.

"Indeed."

"Well, you're certainly not talking to him alone." The teen pushed away from his seat and stood. Serena was struck by the strangely protective tone from the usually cold Earl.

Ciel led the way into the salon. Ronald was looking at the various books that covered the shelves but turned when they entered. The reaper bowed with an easy smile and waited for everyone to take a seat.

"Now, I'm assuming that you come with some kind of message from your boss?" The Earl leaned back in his chair.

"Yes, I do. In light of recent events, the Reaper's Council wishes to give their apologies to Miss Serena, as well as the Elder of London for their failure to control the reaper Grell Sutcliff. His punishment is still being discussed, however Grell will be confined to the Council building itself until such time as a decision is reached. They also acknowledge the anti-demon sentiment that has become prevalent in the London offices and are looking into it as a possible situation to be diffused if necessary."

"That's nice." Serena said carefully. "I can't help but feel that there is more to it."

"Until such time as Miss Serena leaves London and the surrounding area, the Council has decided that they would rather be safe than sorry again and have assigned myself to be your personal bodyguard." Ronald dropped down to the other side of the sofa that Serena occupied with a bright smile.

"What?!"

Serena waved a hand to get everyone's attention.

"What exactly are your orders, word for word?"

"I'm supposed to move you and myself into the reaper's realm should Grell or any other reaper with the intent to harm you in any way appear. I'm one of the few that can carry another living being into our world. And even fewer have direct access to the Council Room." Ronald was all puffed up male pride until he deflated a little under Sebastian's glare. "But, I'm not to engage Sutcliff or any other, just move you out harm's way."

Serena winced. "The council doesn't think that you can take him, do they?"

The reaper sighed heavily and hung his head, a black cloud hanging over him. "No."

The red head rubbed his back, smiling at him in encouragement. "It's okay. You just haven't had a chance to prove yourself yet."

"And you won't get it now." Sebastian glared down at the young reaper. "You cannot simply decide that you will join this household and expect to be granted entry without a thought."

"I agree." Everyone turned to Ciel, who had been silent the whole conversation. "As amusing as I think it would be to have a reaper and a demon in the same house. It's inviting far too much chaos into my home."

"But, this is the order of the Reaper's Council."

"You're council does not rule me." The earl answered easily.

"You can't just ignore them."

"I can and I will. It is my home that they are wanting to put you in and therefore my decision."

Serena put a hand on Ronald's arm to stop him from speaking.

"You may not want to argue too much. Remember who has control of the demonic butler." She dropped her voice and pointed behind them. "It's probably not a good idea to piss him off."

The reaper turned to see Sebastian looking down at him with an evil smile that showed swirling eyes and fangs.

"Right." He stood. "Fine. I will report to the council that you have rejected their assistance."

"There's a good reaper. Run along now. Sebastian will show you out." Ciel waved Ronald off, ignoring the glare he was sent at his patronizing tone.

 _*********************_ A Demon's Mate***********************

The trip back to the manor passed mostly in silence. After a tearful good bye from Soma, who had returned to the house as they were getting into the carriage, Serena and Ciel left the crowded streets of London behind. Ciel's briefcase had reappeared and the never-ending stack of papers with it. Every time that Serena tried to start a conversation, she was shushed so the Earl could concentrate without her "chatter".

"You're a workaholic, you know that?" She huffed after being shushed again.

"I obviously have more things to occupy my time than you do." Ciel said dryly, not taking his eyes from the report in his hand.

"Well, yeah, but I mean seriously, you're going to be devoured by a demon in the future. This is the time to live it up."

"I have far too many concerns to 'live it up.'" He sneered at her.

"Ciel, this can't be healthy. Don't you have a hobby or something? You're going to die from all the stress that you put yourself under before you even get a chance at your revenge."

"This is my hobby." He said darkly.

"That's a little sad."

"Will you stop? I happen to enjoy my work." He signed the paper that he had been looking at and shifted the stack to show the next report.

She shook her head in defeat and stared out the window again. The stone pillar marking the beginning of Phantomhive lands was a welcome sight to the occupants of the carriage for different reasons. Serena stared at the fields and pastures that were steadily becoming a symbol of home to the girl from the future. She sighed, thinking that it wouldn't be so bad, staying in this time period. The air was cleaner, the clothes were great, once you got past the weight of all the layers, and she admitted that the chivalry was a nice change.

 _'And I don't have to look at some guy's underwear hanging out of his pants here.'_

Two pillars marked the driveway to the estate and Ciel put his papers away as the swaying carriage turned. Serena smiled at the sight of the large manor house. The red head didn't notice Ciel staring at her as they approached the house. Bard and Finny were already waiting at the end of the drive to take the horses to the stables when Sebastian dropped down from the box. Both men called a greeting to Ciel and Serena as they were helped down from the vehicle.

The Earl led the way into the house, where Snake, Mei-Rin, and Tanaka waited to help the travelers removed their outer layers. Serena gasped as they started across the hall.

"It's Christmas Eve! I can't believe I just realized that."

"You're point is?" Ciel stared back at her with a blank face. Right behind him, Sebastian gave her the same look.

"Oh, nevermind you bunch of scrooges. I've got stuff to do." The red head waved them off and headed to her own room.

Mei-Rin had followed behind and was opening up her suitcases on the bed, unpacking the clothes that she had taken to London. The maid jumped back when the smallest case was yanked out of her hands.

"No! Don't look in that. It's for tomorrow." She held the case to her chest.

"Miss, the mansion doesn't celebrate Christmas. We're welcome to go to the church in town, if we wish, and we're all given the day off. Well, everyone except Sebastian. However, the master never does anything special."

"Ciel and Sebastian have the same view of Christmas, I suppose. Anyway, I'm not talking about celebrating per say. Just a little holiday cheer."

"Oh, this is going to be exciting!" The maid laughed and went back to the wardrobe as Serena gathered up the other papers that she had left in the room. "I can't wait."

*********************A Demon's Mate***********************

After gathering up everything that she needed, Serena made a dash for the library. It was the only room with a big enough table for her to spread out and shut the nosy staff out. She made quick work of separating her creations into piles when she remembered one very important thing.

 _'I don't have any boxes!'_

 _'Is there a problem, my mate?'_

Serena gasped at the voice and hoped that she hadn't just broadcasted everyone's gift to a certain nosy demon.

 _'How much have you heard?'_

 _'Not much, just that you are currently in a panic over boxes.'_ The tone left her to think that he believed that it was a foolish thing to be worried over.

 _'It is a panic. I can't wrap what isn't in a box. That a huge hole in my plan.'_

 _'Perhaps you should plan better next time.'_

 _'Why do I get the feeling that you are enjoying this?'_

 _'I don't know what you mean, my mate.'_

 _'Sure you don't.'_

Suddenly, the door to the library opened to let the butler in. Serena screeched like a banshee and ran to shove Sebastian back out of the room. To his credit, the demon did move when she pushed him.

"Out! Out! Out!" She kept pushing until they reached the hall and slammed the door shut behind her. "That's not funny. I don't appreciate the blatant attempt at trying to sneak a peek at what I'm doing."

"You expected me to not be curious?"

"No. I just expected you to be better about trying to find out."

The demon jerked back.

"I was trying to see what size boxes that you required." She continued to stare at him. "Besides, this is very unnecessary. It is not proper for you to gift to anyone other than your mate."

"Really? I'll apologize then. Because, I'm still passing these out."

Sebastian growled a little but Serena just shook her head. "That's not going to work."

"Very well. Since you insist on doing this, what size box do you need?"

She held up her hands to give dimensions.

"You're very serious about this."

"Gift giving is serious business. You have to find something that the person will like, then there is the box it's in, the paper it's wrapped in, the ribbon." She waved her hand. "There's a lot of thought involved in this and everything has to be perfect."

"I see."

Sebastian used his senses to make sure that there was no one nearby and waved his hand. He held out the boxes she needed in one and a roll of plain paper in the other. Serena blinked at the items that appeared from nowhere and smiled. She took the paper and looked at it for a moment.

"I suppose you don't have wrapping paper in this time."

"This is wrapping paper."

"Oh, well. I can make it work." She set the roll down and took the boxes. Leaning on the tips of her toes, she kissed his cheek. "Thank you. Now, go away."

The demon blinked at her as she made a shooing motion to him. She waited until he was down the hall a ways before opening the door again to take her bounty inside. He knew that he could easily rush back and see what this was all about, but feared it would raise his mate's anger.

Serena's head popped back out the door. "Oh, and I'll need to take over your kitchen later."

The head popped back in and Sebastian was left standing in the hall, wondering what that was about. Straightening his tailcoat, the butler went back to his work.

 _'We're finally making progress. Don't want to tear all that work to shreds.'_

*********************A Demon's Mate********************

Serena checked both directions of the hallway before sliding out and shutting the door as quietly as possible. She had heard the servants retreating into their own part of the house hours ago and hoped that they were now asleep. Ciel was still keeping Sebastian occupied with his nightly routine before bed and the girl took this chance to sneak into the servants' portion of the house.

The door at the end of the hallway led into the back of the house and up to the servants' bedrooms that took up half the attic. She had seen the door when looking for decorations and Meirin had explained what lay behind it. Walking as quietly as possible, Serena was glad that this portion of the house was kept up as well. The bare floorboards hardly creaked with her steps and she hoped that if someone heard them, they would think that it was only Sebastian and not come out to investigate.

 _'Why do I hear the Mission Impossible theme in my head?'_ She laughed and flattened herself against the wall.

Coming to the first door, Serena opened it and peeked inside. The room was small, but still nicer than what she had expected and only held one bed, a nightstand, a desk, and a small wardrobe . The bed was occupied and the gray haired head she saw on the pillow told it was Tanaka's room.

 _'Good, he really should have his own room.'_ Taking one of the boxes from her stack, she left the rest in the hallway so as not to run the risk of dropping them and making a ruckus. Remembering what Undertaker and Haagenti had said about her ability to calm people, the girl thought only of Tanaka staying asleep as she tip toed across the room. She laid the box next to the bed and hurried out with a smile.

The next room held two beds and she assumed that this was where Bard and Finny slept. The two men were out cold as she crept in and out as quickly as possible. They didn't even move when she had knocked one of Bard's shoes. Picking up her remaining boxes outside the room, Serena stayed to the sides of the hallway as the boards creaked less.

 _'But where does Snake sleep? Wait, the manga said something about the greenhouse as it was the warmest room. He must be there.'_

She moved his box to the bottom of the pile, there were only three left, and went to the next door. It was another room of two beds, both empty and stripped of sheets. The next two were the same way. It almost to the other end of the attic that she finally found Mei-Rin's room. The maid was sleeping with a book laying on her chest and a candle still lit on the nightstand. Serena smiled as she set the gift on the nightstand and took the book from the sleeping girl. She recognized the title as one of the romance novels that had been in the servants' parlor before. The red head shook her head as she blew out the candle and left the room.

The rest of the doors yielded nothing but empty rooms and Serena was left with two boxes.

 _'The butler's room is always on the first floor, duh. He's supposed to be the closest to the silver and the wine.'_

Going back down, she decided to hit the greenhouse first before searching for Sebastian's room. She entered the warm and humid building expecting to see a cot or something. Instead, Snake was stretched out on the soft moss next to a little indoor pond. Several of his pets were coiled next to him as the footman slept easily and lifted their heads as she came closer.

 _'Well, they're not rattling or anything. But I guess that's only rattlesnakes that do that. I want to leave it where he'll see it, but how close will they let me get?'_

Serena noticed a small branch that had fallen from one of the bushes and came up with an idea. Setting the box on the ground, she used the branch to push it closer to the sleeping man. All the snakes watched her, their tongues flicking out to taste the air around them. The box was only a foot away when one of the snakes, that she recognized as some kind of cobra, stretched out it's hood. She stopped and put her hands up while backing away. The hood came back down and she turned to hurry from the greenhouse.

 _'Alright, now to find Sebastian's room.'_

Since the butler was supposed to be close to the silver and the wine, Serena figured that she would start with the kitchen and work her way through the first floor from there. Looking into the various doors, she found a set up that was close to the townhouse. At the very end of the hallway was a door that looked interesting. There was no possible room in the noble's part of the house that would be there. When she touched the doorknob, she felt a design under her palm. Stamped into the metal was the Phantomhive coat of arms.

 _'Okay, now that almost screams 'Ruler of the House.''_

She turned the knob but it wouldn't budge.

 _'Of course it's locked.'_

Still holding the package, Serena ran through other options of where to leave the gift. She could always leave it in her room. Sebastian was sure to come see her after Ciel was asleep. Or there was the kitchen, but what if one of the others went to the kitchen first. The box did have his name on it, but still, she didn't like leaving it in such an open space. She could leave it in front of the door, but again, what if someone else found it.

Giving up, she decided to take it with her to make cookies and if she ran into Sebastian, she'd give it to him then. In the pantry, she looked for the ingredients that she would need. After seeing the massive bag of flour and the thigh high container for sugar, Serena decided to just bring her bowl in here to get what she needed.

 _'Now, if I were a mixing bowl, where would I be? And measuring cups, I hope they have measuring cups. Then I still need to find the butter. That would be in that ice chest thing that Bard got the meat out of, right? I have a feeling this is going to be harder than I thought.'_

*********************A Demon's Mate***********************

Sebastian could hear his mate sneaking around the manor as he bathed his Master. His mind wondered to what she could be doing, but the boy would constantly draw his attention back. He heard her move from the attic rooms and then felt the glimmer of her soul in the greenhouse. When he heard the curse in his mind as she found the door of his own room locked, the demon was glad that he was behind his prey and didn't have to explain his smirk.

When his Master had finally slid into his bed and the candles had been extinguished, Sebastian went straight to the kitchen where his mate had been for a long time. Serena was standing in front of the counter by the sink and appeared to be mixing something. The demon felt a flash of anger that his mate was walking around the manor in another of his master's nightshirts where anyone could see her, but forced it down. There would be time for that later. He heard her grumbling as though she were speaking instead of talking under her breath.

"Why don't they have electric mixers in this time?"

He decided it was his moment to step in. Coming up behind the red head, he slid his gloved hands along her arms and took possession of the bowl and whisk. Serena jumped a little when he touched her but calmed once she saw who it was.

"Thank you." She smiled up at him.

"I liked the way you thanked me earlier, better."

With a short laugh, she leaned up and kissed his jaw.

"Is that better?"

"Almost." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, delighted when she smiled and melted into him. Sebastian let go of the bowl and used the hand to slide into her hair, holding his mate in place. His other snaked around her hips to keep her pressed against him. His fingers pulled the shirt up higher so he could touch skin instead of cloth and was rewarded with a small sigh.

"Cookies." She tried to pull away. "I need to finish the cookies."

Sebastian groaned at her timing and focus but allowed her to pull away.

"Is that what you are making? Cookies?"

"Christmas cookies."

He looked unimpressed and she remembered that he was a demon.

"You just don't get it. My great-grandmother always used to make these on Christmas Eve. It was the only time that everyone got cookies with breakfast. When I was old enough, she would let me help. It was our little annual tradition. When she passed away, I took over making the cookies and even though this isn't my home, I still want to make them."

Sebastian watched the light that had come into her eyes while she told the story and realized that this silly tradition was just as important to her as the gifts had been earlier. He honestly didn't see the point, but that was another matter. What really bothered him was why she wanted to celebrate God's holiday when her future was with a demon and therefore, almost as far away from God as she could get.

 _'Pure soul. Must remember that. Besides, I have seen a few mates that were devote for what little it did for them.'_

Serena swiped a little of the batter from the bowl and tasted it.

"Almost there. I just need the cherries and the almonds."

"We do have almonds, but fresh cherries are out of season."

"Not fresh. We always used dried or maraschino cherries. The maraschinos were always better."

"I believe that I do have a bottle of those."

The red head clapped her hands together in excitement and brushed past him to get to the pantry.

"Why are they up so high?"

"To keep the others out of them." Sebastian spoke from right behind her and reached to easily pull the bottle down. He made sure to hold her hip as he did to keep her aware of him. The blush that shot over her cheeks told him it worked.

The large mouth jar made her laugh.

"They look like moonshine cherries." When she opened the bottle, Serena caught a whiff of alcohol. "That may be closer to the truth. Are you sure that these are maraschino cherries?"

"Of course. Marasca cherries that have been preserved in maraschino liqueur."

"Wow, that's not how they make them later. We'll go easy on these." She took the bottle over to the large cutting board that was set up on another counter and looked for a fork to fish the fruit out.

"Do you normally cook?" Sebastian pulled the almonds down from a sealed box in the pantry and set them next to the red head.

"A little bit. Not much."

"Would you like me to cut those?" The butler twitched at the sloppy chopping that the cherries were being subjected to and Serena had seen it.

"They don't have to be pretty."

"My mate should not have to strain herself."

"It's fine." She pulled another group of cherries over with a smile.

"Even so..."

The red head gasped as the sharp edge sliced the side of her finger while she was listening to Sebastian. The demon was there immediately, pulling her hand up to look at the cut. Red blood rushed down her palm to collect in the white cuff of her nightshirt.

"It doesn't look that deep, but you nicked a vein." His tongue darted out, running from her wrist to the wound, stopping more blood from staining the fabric. He heard Serena's heartbeat speed up as he took the finger into his mouth.

"Sebastian..."

The demon held her eyes as he let go of the finger.

"See, all better."

Serena stared at her hand in shock. There wasn't a trace of any injury and the finger wasn't sore when she flexed it.

"Well, that's handy."

"I do believe that you have done enough cooking." Sebastian took the knife from her other hand and lightly nudged her away from the counter.

"You know, I cut myself all the time. It's no big deal."

"My mate will not take the risk of such harm." He made quick work of the rest of the cherries and pulled the almonds over.

"They have to be slivered. You're not going to try to turn me into a bubble girl, are you?"

"A bubble girl?"

"You know, a bubble girl. That's not allowed to do anything or go anywhere or interact with anybody."

"You would interact with me." He smirked down at her.

"On a different note. I am a person who likes to do things herself." Serena ignored the twitch as she jumped up to sit on the counter. He didn't miss the blush that stained her cheeks a pretty pink.

"A demon's mate is waited on, not the other way around."

"Well, too bad."

He glared at her but the girl just smiled. "A little more almonds."

Serena reached across the sink to grab the bowl with the batter and felt and hand on her upper thigh. She gasped and slapped the gloved hand.

"If you are going to show so much skin, do not expect me not to touch."

"Is that your way of telling me that you don't like my nightgown alternative."

"In your room is fine. I don't like it where everyone can see what is mine."

"Really?" She crossed her legs, making the shirt ride up more.

Sebastian slid his hand over the skin it exposed and found the bowl she was holding in his face.

"Almonds in the bowl." She smiled.

The demon growled a little as he gathered up the slivered nuts and deposited them into the batter. He took the bowl from her before she could mix them in and did it himself.

"You know I think I'm beginning to interpret all the different growly noises that you make."

"Growly noises?"

"Yeah, you have one when you're angry. It's kind of more from the throat than the others. Then there's a completely different one when you're...happy. Normally when you're touching me. That one is more from the chest. And then there is the one when you're frustrated. Like that one a minute ago. Although it normally has a twitch with it."

A gloved hand gently swatted her leg. "Off the counter."

"Where are the pans?" Serena started to open a cabinet, but he stopped her.

"I will take care of that."

"You're taking over." She whispered.

"I know." He whispered back as he brushed past her to pull a pan out.

"Actually, I'm glad that you're here. I have no idea how to work that oven." Serena laughed over her shoulder as she grabbed a spoon to scoop up the batter. She started rolling the stiff batter into little balls and set them on the pan he laid next to her.

"I will take care of that, as well."

"I was sure that you would."

Sebastian watched his mate carefully. The entire time that she had been with them, he hadn't seen the same level of peace and happiness that making these cookies had brought her. When he felt the other souls in the house, he realized something very important. She was radiating her own emotions to the entire house.

He waited until she was finished and quickly took the pan away. The oven was already heated, but he checked it anyway. With how important these seemed to be to his mate, the demon wasn't going to risk burning them. When he turned back, Sebastian found a smiling Serena holding a box.

"This one is yours."

"Was that what you were doing, sneaking around the manor?" He accepted the box on reflex.

"Yeah. I didn't think that Ciel wanted a big thing tomorrow. I just left everyone's things so they could find them in the morning." She waited as he stared at the box. "Well, don't look so shocked. You were the one going on about not giving a gift to anyone but you."

Serena turned around and went back into the pantry. "We need melted chocolate too."

"Chocolate?"

"Yeah, you dunk half the cookie in melted chocolate."

When she came back out, with Funtom chocolate bars, Sebastian was still staring at the package.

"No one has ever given me anything."

She started to open up the chocolate bars and gave him a nudge. "Open it."

Serena heard him slowly unwrapping the paper behind her.

"This is beautiful." The demon ran his fingers lightly over the sketch he found inside. It depicted the corner garden as it would look in the spring. All of the plants, trees and bushes were full of blooms. In the center was his cat, with the new white kitten. Both were curled together, their heads resting against each other, under one of the large hydrangea bushes.

"I didn't know of anything else that you liked." She blushed.

"It's so realistic. They look like they could breath."

"It's really nothing." Serena picked up the knife and it was immediately pulled out of her hand. Sebastian was leaning over her, a strange expression on his face. His hand slid along her jaw as if handling something precious. The kiss he gave her had nothing to do with desire or persuasion. It was simple and sweet. Something that she wasn't expecting from him.

"Thank you."


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: I know that the anime lead you to believe that Tanaka shared a room with the other men, but I just couldn't accept that. He's been with that house for years and was the butler for Ciel's father. Of course he would have his own room. It's not like the Phantomhive house is overrunning with servants that need places to sleep. Also, I have no idea if he really is from Japan or if it's just a name, but we're going to operate on that assumption.

On another note, I have followers on Twitter. And I haven't even tweeted anything yet. I'm going to have to fix that, huh?

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and the demons that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty

Years of being the Phantomhive butler had ingrained an early waking in Tanaka that carried even into his retirement. The man was surprised that he felt more rested than he had in years. He was even more surprised by the package that was resting on the nightstand next to his monocle.

The flat box was wrapped with plain paper that had been decorated with cherry blossoms. A shiny, green ribbon was wound around the package and tied with a simple bow. He opened it slowly, a part of him not wanting to rip the paper. When he finally lifted the top, he found a black and white sketch of a Japanese temple set with a backdrop of Mt. Fuji. Cherry blossom trees shown on the sides as though the viewer was looking through them to see the building.

There was a small SW in the bottom right corner.

Tanaka touched the drawing carefully, memories of his home country filling his mind.

**********************A Demon's Mate*********************

Sebastian walked into Bard and Finny's room to wake the men and saw two boxes on the nightstand. Both were always slow to wake and he spent a minute or two shaking each of them.

"Don't forget your gifts." The butler shook his head as he walked back out.

That woke them. Each grabbed for the boxes and saw the personalized wrapping paper. Bard's was filled with sketches of various kitchen utensils and Finny's had feathers all over the paper. The former soldier was the first to open his, excitement running through him. He let out a whistle at the beautiful woman smiling back at him.

She was dressed in modified soldier's uniform, saluting the viewer. Below her was the name, Betty Grable. He picked up the paper and another was underneath it. The woman was named Rita Hayworth. Each had a small SW in the bottom corner. A small note fell out of the box.

 _'I thought that you would appreciate these ladies.'_

"Bard, look!"

Finny held up a picture of a flying bird. He held up another that showed the same bird in a forest, wings ready to take off. The younger man looked at them again.

"They're so pretty." Finny looked to the man. "What did you get?"

"Nothing!" Bard put the lid back on the box quickly. He didn't want to explain the sketches to the gardener that still carried a child's innocence and carefree attitude.

"Oh, come on."

"No! You don't need to see them."

******************A Demon's Mate******************

Sebastian's knock on Mei-Rin's door signaled the beginning of another day. The maid rubbed her eyes as she stretched. Turning to the side to get her glasses, she felt something else. A box rested on the nightstand with the book that she had been reading on top. She was slightly worried that someone had been in her room while she slept and she hadn't noticed.

The paper around the box was decorated with blooming flowers and a smile pushed away her suspicion. Lifting up the top, she was greeted with Sebastian's face. The sketch was a portrait of the butler from the chest up. He was looking out of the page with a gentle smile on his beautiful face. She picked it up and saw another paper below it with a short note written on it.

 _'If anyone finds this, I will deny all knowledge of it.'_

She turned the page over, confused, and got an instant nosebleed. It was Sebastian again, only this time the butler was lying in bed, his clothes in disarray. His tie was gone and the black waistcoat was open. His shirt was partially unbuttoned and the man was pulling off one of his gloves with his teeth.

"Oh my!"

*******************A Demon's Mate******************

Snake woke from the sun warm on his face. His pets were already awake and coiled around a small package on the ground. Pulling it away, Emily used the arm to curl around his shoulders as he inspected the box. Drawn on the wrapping paper was a snake that looked to be wrapped around the box.

Inside was a picture of the manor. On the front steps stood all of its inhabitants. Ciel stood in front of the doors on the top step. Sebastian and Tanaka stood behind him. Sitting on the step below them were Serena and Mei-Rin. The maid was holding her favorite rifle and her glasses were on top of her head. The next step held Bard, with his ever-present cigarette, and Finny, holding a small bouquet of flowers, and himself, in the middle. On the ground and around the sconces at the doors were some of his snakes. In the bottom corner was a small SW.

 _'It's like a family portrait.'_

****************A Demon's Mate************************

Serena snuck out of her room when she heard Sebastian's thoughts on making 'the Master's' morning tea. Since the kiss in the kitchen, when he was completely unguarded, she had been able to hear _his_ surface thoughts. She headed down the hallway with the last box in her hands. At the double doors she looked both ways before slowly opening one of them.

The room was dark, the heavy curtains still drawn. She tip toed around the large bed. Ciel was still asleep on his back. His black hair was messy around his face, making him look younger. Her hand started to reach forward and brush some of his hair back, but stopped at the last minute. She didn't want to wake him.

 _'He looks so peaceful when he's asleep.'_

She smiled and laid the box beside the Earl. Sneaking back out, Serena was almost to her own room when Mei-Rin came up behind her.

"Oh, Miss Serena. I can't thank you enough. I always wanted a picture of..." The red head grabbed the maid with a hand over her mouth.

"Hush!" Looking both ways, she pushed Mei-Rin into her room and shut the door behind them. "I told you that I would deny knowing that."

"Sorry." She smiled sheepishly. "But they were so real. Especially the second one."

Serena grabbed a towel from the bathroom when a trickle of blood came out of the maid's nose and she was lost in her fantasy. The red head laughed as the maid tried to compose herself after a moment.

"I thought that you would like that."

"Indeed." She took the cloth away and turned to the wardrobe. "Now, we have to get you dressed for the day."

"Aren't you supposed to have the day off, Mei-Rin?"

"Oh, I will after this. Sebastian is the only one that stays working on Christmas day and it's not appropriate for him to help you dress."

"How do you think that I got dressed while we were in London?"

"Oh!" Mei-Rin's nose started gushing and she rushed to grab the towel.

"I got into my underclothes alone, so it's not like he saw anything." She raised an eyebrow. "Besides, it's not like he was the one getting naked."

Both women giggled together.

****************A Demon's Mate*****************

Ciel woke to the smell of his favorite Earl Gray tea as the curtains were pulled back to let the morning sun shine in on him. There was a comfort to this routine, but something was off. There was a scent in the room that he didn't recognize, slightly flowery but not overpowering. Definitely a woman's perfume.

His hand moved to help him sit up and brushed against something on the sheet.

"Good morning, Master. Today, I have prepared an Earl Gray tea. For breakfast, we have a lightly poached salmon served with mint salad, as well as cranberry scones with clotted cream." The butler turned from the window with a smile and went to pull the blankets and sheets back.

"What is this?" The Earl picked up the box and looked at the paper that covered it. His name was written and below it was drawn the Phantomhive coat of arms.

"Ah, yes. Serena decided to give everyone a gift for Christmas. She snuck in here not long ago to leave that for you." Sebastian handed his Master his first cup of tea for the day. However, the teen was more interested in the box and set the cup aside without taking a sip. The demon hid his slight irritation that his work was ignored and went to pull out his Master's clothing.

"She got into my room?"

"She got into everyone's room." The butler came out of the wardrobe room holding a herring-bone suit.

"She's more sneaky than I would have thought." Ciel set the box aside and stood to allow Sebastian to change his clothing. He finally sipped the excellent tea as his butler put on his shoes, still staring at the box. His hand would frequently play with the red ribbon but pull back just as quickly.

"If there is nothing else, Master." The Earl shook his head, distracted by the box again. "I will await you in the breakfast room then."

He waited until the butler bowed and closed the door behind himself before picking up the box once more. Ciel was careful and slightly suspicious undoing all the careful wrapping. Lifting off the top, he was greeted with a detailed sketch. It showed the mansions residents, as well as others from Ciel's life standing on one side of a chess board. The Earl was standing in the king's space in full royal dress with crown. Next to him was Elizabeth dressed as a queen holding a set of twin swords at the ready. Only one of the rook spaces was occupied, by Serena herself, in the dress she arrived in and holding a crystal ball. One of the knights was Sebastian in his butler's uniform, table knives in hand, the other space was empty. One of the bishops was Lady Francis, standing in her hunting outfit. The pawns were Mei-Rin, Finny, Bardroy, Tanaka, Snake, Lau, Ran-Mao, Earl Grey and Charles Phipps. Each player was in a battle stance, staring at the other end of the board that was occupied by regular pieces. Off to the side were the three missing players. Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive sat with Madame Red as pieces that had been removed from the board.

His fingers gently traced the images of his parents before moving to his beloved aunt. Still loved even after trying to kill him. A part of him understood Madame Red's actions far more than she would have ever believed. Grief in itself was a kind of madness that was almost impossible to escape and he had experienced his own. She had embraced a reaper and a life of killing those who had so carelessly thrown away what she had wanted so badly. He had chosen a demon that would give him what he wanted in exchange for his very soul.

 _'We were not so different, Aunt Ann.'_

He picked up the page to look closer when another underneath caught his attention. Instead of a drawing, it was a note.

 _'If anyone should find this, I will deny all knowledge of it. In fact, after you have ingrained it in your mind, I would suggest burning it.'_

Beneath the note was written _How to Defeat a Demon._ He turned the page over while taking a sip of his cooling tea...and spit it across the room.

Sebastian was depicted, spread eagle on the ground, but was only recognizable by the pocket watch that lay beside him and a slight view of the butler's face. On top of the demon, sat a mountain of cats. There were big cats and little cats. Long haired cats and short haired cats. Cats of all colors and shades. The expression on Sebastian's face was blissful as he was crushed under all the furry animals. In the background, what looked to be a man was running away.

******************A Demon's Mate*******************

Serena came into the dining room with Mei-Rin to see the other servants still there, but dressed to go out. They all crowded around the red head as soon as she entered to thank her for their presents. Finny and Bard's voices blended together as Tanaka and Snake stood back. Finally, Sebastian swooped in to shoo them away.

"Miss Serena needs to sit for breakfast. And the rest of you need to get going if you're planning to be on time for the service." The butler guided Serena to her seat and set a plate in front of her. One of the cookies they had made the night before sat on the saucer of the fresh fruit cup.

"Service?"

"Yes, they go to church on Christmas Day."

The red head started to greet Ciel and noticed that the Earl was currently munching on one of the cookies. Nothing else on his plate had been touched yet. She laughed and he stopped nibbling on the chocolate portion.

"A part of me is not surprised that you went for the cookie first."

"I do wonder why Sebastian is serving cookies with breakfast." The Earl took another bite of his cookie.

"Because it's tradition." She smiled and took a bite of her own.

"You made them?"

"Well, Sebastian took over about halfway through."

"Ha, he pushed you out of the kitchen too." Bard exclaimed from his place beside the window.

"He did." She slid a glance to the demon. "I think he was worried about the mess that I was making."

"Not at all, my lady. I merely worried after your health. You did not seem to be doing well with the knives." He turned back to the other servants. "Speaking of which. There are cookies for you all as well in the kitchen. Miss Serena informed me that they are to be shared with everyone."

Everyone could see the look on Finny's face as he kept looking to the door leading to the kitchen. He obviously wanted to bolt and Bard wasn't far behind him. Ciel watched the two as he took another bite and swore he saw drool come from the gardener.

"Go on."

Sebastian pulled the cart out of the way as all that was left of the servants was a trail of dust leading to the kitchen. The only one left was Tanaka and even he was headed that way, at a more sedate pace. After a moment, Finny's head popped back out of the door.

"Do you want to come with us, Miss Serena?"

"That's alright. I think I'll stay here and keep the heathens company."

"If you're sure." The gardener held up one of her cookies. "Thank you for the cookies, Miss Serena. They're delicious."

Another was stuffed in his mouth, making the man look like a large chipmunk, as he turned away and shut the door behind him.

"Do you think he even tasted that or did he just inhale it?" Serena stared at the door for a moment.

"I'm certain that he just inhaled it. We normally keep Finny away from sweets, as they have a tendency to make him excitable." Sebastian leaned down to refill her teacup.

"Yeah, his personality leads me to believe that he would ride one hell of a sugar high." She turned to Ciel. "I'm surprised that you don't."

The Earl coughed and turned his attention to the rest of his breakfast without answering.

"I saw that massive container of sugar in the pantry and I think that it is all for you."

"To be honest, I do not believe that I have ever seen my Master affected by sugar."

"You've eaten far too much for far too long." She laughed as she brought her cookie up for a bite. "I should know. It doesn't affect me anymore either."

******************A Demon's Mate********************

After breakfast, Ciel escaped to his office while Serena opted to stay in the dining room. She had said that she wanted to finish her tea. He was certain it was because she wished to talk to the demon. At least one relationship seemed to be working. The letter from Elizabeth, he had found waiting when they returned from London, remained in the top drawer of his desk, still unopened. The Earl acknowledged that there was a part of him, a small part, that was afraid of what that missive contained.

Pulling it out, he flipped it over in his hand to look at the address written by his fiancé. His thumb traced the letters that were starting to fade with handling. The letter had been a constant weight on him since they returned to the manor and he had picked it up several times throughout the day before, only to put it back down and go on to another report.

Ciel opened the drawer again and pulled out the gift he had received from Serena. Before going to breakfast, he had stopped to secure it in his office. The second drawing he had burned as per her sound advice. There was a part of him that didn't want to think of the demon's face if he saw that particular rendering. He looked at Lizzy, standing so proud in the queen's space of his side of the board and back to the letter in his other hand.

 _'That space may be unoccupied as well soon.'_

A knock pulled the Earl from his thoughts. He had put the letter away as Serena's head popped into the room.

"Hey, I was wondering what you doing?"

"Nothing as of yet. There haven't been any new reports delivered."

She shook her head as she came into the room and took a seat in front of his desk.

"Those lazy bastards. How dare they not want to work on Christmas?"

Ciel glared at her smiling face for a moment before looking down at the sketch on his desktop.

"I wanted to thank you. For the gift."

"Your welcome." The red head smiled. "To be honest, I wasn't sure if it would upset you or not."

"No, it's beautiful." His hands traced the lines that made up his parents once more. Realizing what he was doing, the Earl coughed into his hand. "You have a real talent for making an image on paper come to life."

"Thank you. I've always loved to draw and thankfully I was good at it." She looked to the open door before turning back and whispering, "Did you like the other one?"

To her amazement, Ciel actually laughed. It didn't take long for her to join him and that was how Sebastian found them. The demon stood in the doorway, shocked at the display. When the two noticed him, both tried to stop. Ciel coughed into his hand several times before he could resume his normal demeanor. Serena couldn't do it and snickered occasionally.

"What has brought this on?"

Both of them started laughing again as the demon stood confused.

*******************A Demon's Mate**********************

After lunch, the rest of the house had returned and were occupying themselves in the servants' rooms. Serena had managed to talk Ciel out of his office and into the billiards room where they were currently playing pool. What had started as a friendly game had quickly dissolved into a bet. If Ciel won, Serena would make him another batch of her cookies to keep all for himself. She reminded him that Sebastian was perfectly capable to make them whenever he wanted.

"But, I want you to make them." He had pointed the stick at her.

"You think that will keep me out of your hair for a while and you'll be able to sneak back into your office."

"This time I'll lock the door." The teen looked away, giving the impression that it wasn't the only reason that he wanted her to make him cookies.

"You are awful prickly today. Careful, I'm this close to being offended." She picked up a cue from where it hung on the wall. When she turned back, the Earl was shocked at her serious expression. "But if I win, I get an entire day."

"A day?"

"That's right. If you win, tomorrow I will stay in my room all day and leave you alone to brood to your heart's content. You'll only see me at meal times."

"Cookies."

"And I will make you a special batch of cookies." Serena leaned on her stick with a smirk. "But, if I win, you owe me a day. No paperwork, no meetings, no cases."

"And what are we supposed to do with this day?"

The red head thought for moment. She smiled and Ciel stopped that shiver that was building in his spine. "You're going to give me a personal tour of London."

She watched as he twitched at her terms. The red head could almost hear the wheels turning in his head as the Earl weighed his odds as well as the consequences.

"Deal."

That was an hour ago. The two had stayed point for point the entire game. It didn't help Ciel's concentration when Serena would jump onto the table and stretch to sink a particularly difficult ball. He blushed and fought off an itch in his hands to touch every time. It was only his natural aptitude for games and strategy that had kept him in the game this long. He found that Serena could be easily distracted by talking when she was taking her shot and used it to make up for his own misses. They were down to the last ball and each had missed once already because of the other's distraction tactics.

"Master."

Both jumped as Sebastian walked in, the Earl bumping the table enough to move the balls a little. They had been so caught up in the game that neither had heard the butler coming. Serena took the opportunity presented by the new arrangement on the table to sink the last ball. Ciel stared at the table in disbelief as the girl laughed.

"I win." Serena smirked at him.

The Earl rubbed his forehead as the weight of his defeat sunk in.

"What is it, Sebastian?"

"Lady Elizabeth is here to see you, Master."

"What?" The bet was instantly forgotten as he set his cue down across the table.

"Well, it looks like you'll get rid of me for the day anyway." Serena picked up his cue and set them both back in the wall rack. He vaguely nodded and walked out.

"I escorted her to the salon, Master." Sebastian bowed as the Earl passed him and followed behind.

"Very well. We'll have tea, Sebastian. I'm sure that she will be staying for a while."

******************A Demon's Mate****************

Elizabeth was dressed in the latest fashion, he assumed, as always. And, as always, she was beautiful. The blonde stood when he entered. Her hands were clasped together in front of her in an unusually nervous display. She didn't run at him like she normally would have. The same wall that had been there the night of Arden's ball was still as tall as ever, only this time, it seemed to be more thick as well.

"Elizabeth, what brings you here today?"

The lady sighed a little and looked away. "You didn't get my letter."

"I did, I haven't had an opportunity to read it as of yet."

"I wanted to visit you today." Elizabeth walked toward him, still unsure. "I knew that you wouldn't want to attend the church service, so I said that I would come in the afternoon."

"Thank you for informing me first, even though I didn't get to read it."

"There is also something that I wanted to talk to you about, Ciel." She looked down to her hands that were wringing her winter gloves.

"Why don't we sit?" He directed her to the two chairs in front of the roaring fireplace.

Elizabeth started to speak, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sebastian breezed in with a tea cart and a variety of snacks. The butler completely ignored the tension in the air as he poured a cup of tea for both of them. After accepting the cup and saucer, Ciel waved his demon away. The blonde took a sip of what she was certain was excellent tea, but in her nervousness it tasted like paste.

"You were saying."

She jumped, not ready. Finally, she set the cup down and took a deep breath.

"I want to stay here with you until New Years."

Ciel choked on the tea he had been drinking. After a minute of sputtering, he could finally breathe again.

"I'm sorry?"

"I want to stay here with you." Elizabeth stood and tried to walk off the nervous energy that had been making her fidget since she left her home. "You were right. You have changed and you're not the boy that I had grown up thinking that I would marry. After the Arden's ball I spent a lot of time trying to picture out life together. It was something that I could always see, but I can't see it anymore. I don't know where I fit in your life anymore. Or if I fit into your life at all."

"I understand." It was all he could say in that moment. There was nothing else. He had spent quite a lot of time pushing Elizabeth away from the danger that encompassed his life. Now, this was the fruition of all that time. Every time he looked at her, he could see his mother. Her smiling face, as well as the vacant look in her eyes when he tripped over her dead body. He had never wanted to put Lizzy in that position. This was his chance to make sure that same ending didn't happen.

"But, I still love you, Ciel. And to be honest, I can't see a future with anyone else either. That's why I want to stay here." She shook her head, a tear finding its way down her cheek. "I don't want to give you up, but you're right. I don't want to spend my life looking for someone that isn't there."

"Elizabeth, it's not proper for you to stay here with me." _'This is my chance. I'll get her to walk away and that nightmare will stop.'_

"Serena is staying here." She dropped back into her seat to stare him in the eye.

"Serena is not a noblewoman with a reputation to protect."

"Your right, and that makes her acceptable as a lady's companion and escort." Green eyes blazed with determination. She had thought this out over and over. There was no argument that Ciel could use other than outright admitting that he didn't want her in his home.

"Does Aunt know about this?"

"Of course, I can't very well disappear for days at a time and not tell anyone. She's the one that suggested that Serena would be an acceptable chaperone."

Ciel sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Alright, Elizabeth. I'll have Sebastian prepare a room for you."

******************A Demon's Mate*****************

When Serena arrived for dinner that night, she was slightly surprised to see Lady Elizabeth sitting at the table. The blonde was also sitting in the chair that she normally occupied, to the Earl's right. Sebastian led her to the seat on Ciel's left. She didn't miss the discomfort on Elizabeth's face when she sat down. The trio was silent for a while, none of them knowing what to say.

"Elizabeth will be staying with us for the next few days." The Earl waved Sebastian to serve the meal. He was careful not to look at either of the women.

The butler was taken aback but quickly recovered. "That is highly improper, Master."

"Serena is old enough to be considered a chaperone." Lizzy smiled as she took a bite from the roasted ham she had been served.

The girl in question choked on the wine that she was drinking. Serena turned to Ciel. "Me!?"

"Yes." He answered carefully, looking at her trying to express some meaning. "My aunt believes that you are fine to be a chaperone for the duration of Lizzy's visit."

She stared at him while he continued to eat. After a moment, the red head noticed his own discomfort and figured that this wasn't his idea. Judging by the way the Earl had been staring at her during their little game, he was the most uncomfortable with this arrangement.

"I will have Mei-Rin prepare a room for Lady Elizabeth at once."

"Paula is with me. I don't feel right asking Mei-Rin to do something on her day off. My maid can handle it." The blonde smiled.

"Very well, my lady."

"Since I'll be staying as your fiancé, I'll take the Countess Suite." Green eyes bored into Serena, obviously catching the familiarity between Ciel and the older girl.

"I don't think so."

Ciel looked between the two of them, feeling to cat fight about to break out.

"I don't see how you have a say in what rooms I use. It's up to Ciel."

"You're the one that wanted me to be a chaperone. Don't those rooms share a door with the Earl's Suite?"

"I would never..." The Earl started but was waved off by Serena. She didn't take her eyes from Elizabeth.

"I don't care. You want me to be a chaperone, I will. There is no way that you both are staying in rooms with an adjoining door." Serena smiled to the lady and took another bite of her dinner. She didn't miss the glare that Elizabeth shot at her.

*********************A Demon's Mate********************

After dinner, Elizabeth declined tea in the salon with Serena and went to check on the progress of her rooms. Having nothing better to do, the red head decided to go to her own rooms until it was time for bed. Mei-Rin showed up soon after to help her bathe and dress for bed. The maid didn't seem to be put out at all to help on her day off and spent time telling Serena all about the service that she had missed. The local gossip kept Mei-Rin busy and allowed her to sink into her own thoughts while the maid brushed out her hair in front of the fire.

When Mei-Rin excused herself, Serena slipped out of the constricting nightgown and into another of the nightshirts that she had taken from Ciel. Sitting at the small table in her room, she thought about everything that had happened. There were too many questions. The red head looked at the mantle clock and figured that Ciel would still be awake and hiding in his office. She used the same technique to stay in the shadows as she tip toed down the corridor. It was a blessing that the servants had the day off as it kept Sebastian at chores longer and the hallways empty.

At the Earl's office door, she quickly opened it and slid inside.

"I was wondering when you would come." Ciel had his chair turned to stare out the window at the slowly falling snow that had started not long ago.

"What the hell is going on here?" Serena crossed her arms as she came across the room.

The Earl turned and jumped at her appearance. "Is that my nightshirt?"

"Yes?" She looked down with guilt. "Well, have you ever slept in one of those flannel nightgowns? It's like being strangled and roasted at the same time. Besides, I didn't think that you would miss one. You have plenty."

"That's not the point." He swallowed as he stared at her legs.

Serena raised an eyebrow and brought her hands up to the first button. "Do you want it back?"

"No, that's fine!" The teen's face was bright red as he held up a hand to stop her.

"That's what I thought," she said. "Now, why is Elizabeth staying here? And who decided that I was some old maid fit to play chaperone?"

Ciel's head dropped to his arms that were folded on the desk. "Elizabeth and my aunt decided that you were suitable as an escort."

The red head thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think that I'm still offended."

"She backed me into a corner. I didn't know what else to do."

Serena took pity on him and came around the desk. She put a hand on his back and felt him jump beneath her fingers before relaxing. The hand rubbed gentle circles, the same as she had done the night that he had cried in her arms.

"Alright. Let's take a moment to think."

"That's what I've been doing since I came in here." His voice was mumbled by his arms.

"That may be, but you're still in reactive mode instead of thinking proactively." She smiled when he finally looked up at her. "Who suggested that Elizabeth stay here?"

Ciel sat up with a deep breath. "She did."

"That was how she got you into a corner. It shocked you and put you on the defensive. You're used to being on the offensive."

He thought about what she said and realized that the red head was right. All thoughts flew out the window when she jumped up to sit on his desk. Serena wasn't paying attention as she tried to figure out why the blonde would practically invite herself to the manor.

"It had to be about that night you all talked at the Arden's." She mused.

"She said that she didn't know if she fit into my life." The Earl swallowed hard. "Could you not sit there?"

"Why?" She crossed her legs, making the shirt ride up farther.

"It's very distracting." He rubbed a hand over his face, carefully not looking at her.

"Distracting?"

"I know that killing me now would mean that Sebastian wouldn't get my soul, but I think that he wouldn't much care if he caught you sitting there like that. And I would rather see the end of my contract, despite the consequences."

"Good point." Serena hopped off the desk and went back to her chair.

"Anyway," Ciel stood and went to the sideboard. There was a bottle of scotch that was always kept there for meetings with business contacts and the amber liquid seemed rather inviting tonight. "I didn't think that Lizzy had it in her to be so...strategic."

"I have a feeling that there is a side of Elizabeth that she doesn't show you." She watched him pour a glass. "Someone recently told me that alcohol is a crutch that people use to not have to face reality."

"I would bet that I know who that was." He took a drink.

"Considering tonight, I would take a glass."

The teen smirked but poured another drink.

"Aren't you a little young for scotch, my lord?" She teased while taking the glass he held out.

"Were you not the one that told me that I should 'live it up'?"

"True." Serena drank deep from the glass. "She had to have this planned out. I bet that any argument that you could have come up with, she would have had an answer for."

"It did appear that way. I'm not used to seeing her like that."

"In the manga, it showed a conversation between Elizabeth and Madame Red. Your aunt told her that a lady should always appear weak and cute in front of her lord." She held the glass against her cheek as she tried to remember if there was anything else.

"Why would she think that I would rather she be annoying?"

"There was also a scene where you told Lizzy that you didn't want a strong wife."

Ciel gasped as that particular conversation came back to him. "I did. It was after Aunt Francis had beaten me mercilessly in a fencing lesson."

"I would bet that she's a lot stronger than you think and that she hides it well."

"I wanted to ask, why did you draw Lizzy with a pair of swords?"

"In the manga, Elizabeth is a master with swords. She took what you had said that day seriously and decided that she would never let you see that she was more like her mother than you would be comfortable with."

"Actually, that would make me feel better." He sat down in the chair opposite the red head and leaned his head back against it. His own glass dangled from his fingertips as he thought about the dreams he had experienced. Dreams of Lizzy's death in his burning home. "After the mansion burned, after I came back, I was worried about Elizabeth being my wife. I didn't want her to die like my mother."

"If the manga is right than she is more than capable of taking care of herself." Serena reached out a hand and laid it on his arm. "You should ask her about it."

He nodded absently and finished his drink.

****************A Demon's Mate**************

Serena went back to her room and tried to go to bed. For some reason, she just couldn't settle. Last night kept her thoughts occupied as she tried to sleep. After such a gentle kiss, Serena didn't know what to do. A raging blush, worse than when they were in bed, had come over her.

 _'It was so against what I have seen of him. He was...sweet. I didn't think that I would ever put Sebastian and sweet in the same sentence. He's been telling me this whole time, how important I was to him. But, that was the first time that I actually felt that I was.'_

Giving up, she slid out of the bed and padded across the carpet. The door opened without a sound but closed with a small click. She looked up and down the hall. She had heard Ciel's door close a while ago, so the demon had to be somewhere else in the house. As she went down the hall, Serena check the rooms that she passed. Everything was exactly as it should have been. She was glad that her eyes had adjusted while she was trying to sleep as there were no candles lit on the second floor to light her way.

Serena didn't see the blonde head that peeked around the corner as she went down the stairs.

***********************A Demon's Mate********************

"So, this is where you've been."

Sebastian had already turned from the dishes he was putting away when his mate came into the kitchen.

"Yes. Why are you not in bed?" He picked up the next plate and dried it.

"I couldn't sleep." Serena watched him inspect the plate, front and back before setting it gently in the cabinet.

"Is there a problem?"

"No. I have a tendency to be an insomniac. It nothing unusual for me." She sighed and went to sit on the counter beside his workspace. Sebastian twitched a little at her choice of seat and the girl laughed. "It's driving you nuts, isn't it?"

"Counters are not for sitting." The demon grew serious. "Neither are desktops."

"Ah, Ciel told you that I came to visit him." She said a little sheepish.

"Yes, including that you were wearing that." He pointed to the shirt. The demon's displeasure was easy to see.

"I know that I shouldn't have done it. It's just so different here." Serena crossed her legs and held onto the edge of the counter with a sigh. "I thought that I could do it for a while. You know, that whole fake until you make it thing. But, the longer I'm here the more comfortable I get and then I kind of fell back into my normal behavior."

"You normally walk around in a man's shirt?"

"I walk around my apartment in a tank top and underwear." She teased. "Sebastian, things are going to change a lot by the time you get to the years that I'm alive. Everybody is not so...stuck up and proper. People dress completely different. The outfit I was wearing when I showed up here, I was going to see a play at a theater."

"Rules of proper behavior will never change."

The red head laughed. "Why did I know that you were going to say that?"

"It seems that Lady Elizabeth is out of bed as well. She is currently creeping toward the kitchen, looking for you." Red eyes flashed as he looked to the door.

"I have a feeling that this whole thing is more her worried about losing Ciel than whether they can live together or not. Arranged marriages are still a big thing here and I don't think that her family is going to cancel an engagement that has been in place since they were born over the whim of a teenage girl. No matter how much they love her."

"I believe you are right. Lady Elizabeth feels threatened by you. She can see how close you are to my Master." The demon smirked. "I would hazard a guess that Lady Francis informed her of your run in at the theater and that is why she agreed to this."

"Neither one of them is going to give up without a fight. I kind of admire that." She smiled but Sebastian said nothing. "Well, in the interest of avoiding a cat fight. We should make her feel a little better."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"Where is she now?"

"Lady Elizabeth is about to open the door."

The red head smiled sweetly and put her arms out. "Help me down."

Sebastian caught his mate's meaning and waited until he heard the slight creek of the swinging door to slide one hand under her knees and the other behind her back. Serena put her arms around his neck as he lifted her from the counter top. Both heard the young lady's gasp as he spun her around a little and held on longer than he needed too before setting Serena back on her feet. The red head held onto him after he set her down until she heard the soft whoosh of the door swinging back shut.

"Well, now that she's gone." The demon leaned down for a kiss. Serena bit her lip in anticipation before closing the last of the distance. It wasn't the sweet kiss that he gave her last night, but it wasn't demanding either. She thought this was the same kiss that her friends had described as 'just happy to be with you.'

"I need to finish this." He said after she let go.

"Yeah, you do. I have a feeling that I've grown used to sleeping with you and that's why I'm having an insomniac night."

"I will come up with you and finish this later."

"No, finish. I'm not ready to go to sleep anyway." Serena went to the table and sat down. It was still close enough for them to talk quietly while keeping her out of his way at the same time.

"Really?" The demon smirked but she glared at him a little. "If you are sure."

His voice was a purr and Serena had to shake her head to clear it. "That's not fair."

Sebastian didn't say anything as he went back to what he was doing. The two were content to be quiet for a little while. Serena watched as he went about the last chores in the kitchen. A part of her wanted to help but knew that would probably spark an argument. When he was finished, the demon slid back into his tailcoat and held out a hand to escort his mate back to her room. He held a branch of candles as they made their way to the second floor and the rooms that the red head was using.

"I would advise that you not wear such clothing around my Master again. It distresses us both."

Serena laughed as she climbed between the sheets and made room for Sebastian.

"Yeah, I already got that message." She cuddled around him and laid her head on his chest. "In Ciel's defense, he was more worried about your reaction than he was attracted to me. Besides, he needs some girl experience."

"Master was a little out of sorts when he mentioned it." Sebastian ran a hand through her hair as she settled.

"Oh, he was adorable. I don't think that I have ever seen that shade of red."

"He has buried himself in his work for so long and always had Lady Elizabeth. He has never really had to learn to flirt or accept it from a beautiful woman."

"Ciel doesn't have to put up with that when he does make the rare society appearance?" She leaned up on an elbow.

"Master knows that those women are after nothing but his status. It is easy to brush them off. He has never had to respond to friendly flirting." The demon's arm tightened around her. "It had better just be friendly."

She laughed and laid a gentle kiss against his lips. Serena took a moment to settle against him again. Her eyes closed easily with a yawn and sleep was right behind it. Sebastian's fingers ran over her back in lazy strokes as the red head slipped into the rest that she needed. The manor was silent, all of its occupants lost in their own dreams. His own eyes closed, content with his mate by his side and his prey safe down the hall.

His eyes shot back open to stare at the ceiling. _'She never answered me.'_


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note: I'm still working on website. I don't want to launch it until I have a couple posts written. That way, if something comes up, I'm covered. Kat and Nikolai are still fighting me. Someone make them stop damn it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty One

"Ccciiieeellll!" It was his only warning before Lizzy burst into the Earl's suite as Sebastian was sliding his shirt over his shoulders. He clutched the shirt closed in surprise while his butler stood back.

Lizzy stopped at the sight of the black clad butler and blushed a little. The scene from last night was so at war with the normally cold man. She shook it off and rushed to her fiancé. Taking his hands, she bounced slightly.

"There is something that I have to tell you!"

"Can it wait until I have finished dressing?"

Lizzy stopped for a moment. "Fine. But hurry. I'll meet you in your office."

The blonde tornado ripped back out of the room and both men heard the door slam in her wake. Ciel sighed as Sebastian finished buttoning the white shirt and held out his waistcoat.

"Honestly, what reason could she have to burst in here?" The Earl shook his head as he put his arms through the next layer of the outfit that his butler had picked out.

"I do not know, Master. However, I would not make her wait for very long." The demon couldn't help but smirk at his Master's predicament.

"What did I do to deserve this? Was selling my soul to a demon really bad enough to disturb my life too?"

He didn't see the demon behind him struggling not to laugh.

****************************A Demon's Mate*************************

When he stepped into his office, Lizzy was still bouncing in anticipation. As the door shut behind him, Ciel's hands were grabbed and he was pulled further in.

"You will never guess what I found out." Her voice was an excited whisper as she leaned close.

"What is that, Lizzy?" He asked obviously bored.

"Serena is in love with Sebastian!"

"And?"

The blonde watched him, not understanding why he was so casual about this.

"Ciel!"

"What? I already know. I've known from the beginning." Ciel pulled away. "As long as it doesn't affect his work, I don't see any problem with it."

"But this is so exciting!" She smiled brilliantly. "Sebastian has always struck me as cold. It gives me hope."

The Earl blinked at her smiling face for a moment before her meaning finally sank in.

 _'Just because Sebastian opened himself up to another person, she thinks that I will too.'_

**********************A Demon's Mate*********************

Serena was surprised to enter the dining room and there was no one at the table. Sebastian and the servants were in their normal places however, Ciel and Elizabeth were nowhere to be found. She sent a questioning glance to the butler.

"Lady Elizabeth requested to speak to the Master this morning."

"Oh, well that's good." She smiled at him, knowing that it was because of what the blonde had seen last night.

The door opened to show Lizzy on Ciel's arm. Serena stood as the two came to their place settings with a smile.

"I see you both are in a better mood today."

"Oh, yes." Lizzy smiled at Ciel as he pushed her chair in.

Sebastian was smirking when the Earl turned for his own seat and received a glare from his Master. The butler was quick to serve after everyone was settled. Lizzy giggled at the look shared by the butler and red head as he set a fresh cup of tea in front of her.

"What?" Ciel watched the blonde shake her head and take a bite of her breakfast. He turned to Serena but she just shrugged.

"Also, since you two are back to normal. I don't think that it is wise for early morning meetings by yourselves." She took a bite of the fruit that had been served with the meal.

"Serena!"

"Chaperone." She reminded him with a smile.

His face was shocked with what she implied. (I would never...)

She smirked. (I don't care. You're a couple of teenagers and shouldn't be left alone.)

He looked between her and the butler with a superior glance. (Perhaps I shouldn't leave you and Sebastian alone.)

She raised an eyebrow that appeared to be reasoning. (Neither of us have a reputation to protect and you should know how people love to gossip.)

Ciel shook his head. (Fine.)

Elizabeth watched as the two carried on a silent conversation. Her excitement quickly faded as she realized that whether or not Serena was in a relationship with Sebastian, the red head was closer to her fiancé than she had originally thought. Closer than she had been to him in years. Ciel's thoughts had been a mystery to her since his parents' deaths, but here was someone he had only known a short time and she knew him well enough to not say a word.

In the end, Ciel shook his head and started on the meal before him. Lizzy watched as her fiancé seemed resigned by whatever had transpired in the few moments and felt dread well up in her again.

"Miss Serena, I would like to talk you after breakfast."

"Okay." The red head tried to hide her confusion at the abrupt change in the other girl.

 _'Guess I won't know until later.'_

************************A Demon's Mate************************

Serena walked into the salon a little apprehensive about what Elizabeth had wanted to talk about. No one had known what she wanted to talk about and in the end, Serena had no other choice but to face the younger girl head on. The blonde was seated in front of the fireplace and didn't acknowledge her until she sat in the chair that was opposite the lady. Even then, her eyes didn't leave the fire in front of her.

"How do you do it?"

"I'm sorry?" Serena tried to get the younger girl to look at her.

"You and Ciel. You've only known each other a short time, but yet, you act like you've known each other forever."

 _'Because I know a hell of a lot more about your fiancé. I've only been watching his life on a TV show for the last few years, of course I feel like I've known him forever.'_

"I'm not sure." The red head looked into the fire, hoping to find an answer that would satisfy Elizabeth. "My grandmother used to say that some people just click. That they don't need to know each other to know each other."

"Why won't he click with me?" She choked out.

Serena tried to find something to say as the blonde broke down.

"Why won't he tell me about anything? I thought it was just his work for the Queen, but lately, it's like I don't know anything about him."

"Because he doesn't want to tell you about his life." Lizzy looked up, eyes full of tears. "Ciel's life is very...dark and you're not. He's doesn't want to show you that."

"But I can handle it."

"He doesn't think that you can."

"Why? I've been raised my entire life to handle it."

"Because you act like a normal girl." Serena leaned back in her chair. "A normal girl can't handle the life that Ciel lives. So, he'd rather be alone than bring someone in that's going to end up scarred for life or dead. You can't be an airhead and that's what you always show him."

"But, men want the weak lady they can protect. They want the girl who looks pretty and gossips and occupies herself with embroidery and shopping."

Serena sighed. "I don't disagree with that. Most men in this time want the woman that's going to sit home and be the perfect little countess."

Lizzy nodded and looked back to the flames.

"But, Ciel is not most men. He's a genius and is annoyed with normal people. He's not a fighter. Why do you think he surrounds himself with them? He doesn't want the woman that he has to worry about protecting. He's still going to worry, but it would ease him a little if he married someone that knew a little about protecting themselves, physically and mentally."

"He doesn't have to protect me." Her voice was small, quiet as she let out her biggest secret. "Mother insisted that I learn fencing, as well as other forms of swordsmanship. I also know how to shoot. But, Ciel doesn't want that wife."

"Yes, he does." The red head rubbed a hand over her face. "Alright, you two obviously aren't going to figure this out yourselves. I'll tell you."

"What?"

She looked around the room, toward the door, making sure that no one was around.

"From what I gather, your aunt was like the side that you show Ciel all the time? She was pretty, and perfect. She spent most of her time focused on making the manor a home and making her husband's life as comfortable as possible. Once Ciel came, she made perfect mother another of her priorities. I don't know if she knew about Vincent's work for the Queen, but if she did, she spent her time acting like it didn't exist. She knew no self-defense and wouldn't even think of something so outside of what a lady should do."

Lizzy nodded.

"You know that his parents were murdered, that it wasn't the fire that killed them. Ciel saw that." The lady gasped and she pushed on. "And that is what pushes him away from you. You act like there is not a thought going on up there other than the latest fashion and the latest gossip and what's Ciel doing. Vincent wanted a wife like that. Ciel doesn't."

"I don't want him to think that I can't be a good wife or a mother. I don't want to push him away because I'm stronger." She twisted the handkerchief in her hands.

"Yeah, unfortunately men seem to think that women can't be both. However, like I said, the man that we're talking about is different. He thinks a little differently than normal men. I think that Ciel would be able to see that." She stood up and looked outside. The salon looked over the part of the garden that was currently home to the two cats. They were playing some kind of game, chasing each other. "It's like cats."

"Cats?" Lizzy stood and came over to the window to look outside.

"See, he knows that she could easily come back and claw his face off. But, in some ways that is a good thing because it makes her a good protector for their offspring. Granted, Ciel doesn't like cats but there are a lot of animals that have that thought process. I honestly think that, taking his past into account, he would think like that as well."

"You really think so?"

"I do."

Her eyes brightened and a smile returned to her face. Lizzy spun around and started for the door.

"I have to talk to Ciel. Cccciiiiieeelll!"

Serena caught the other girl as she opened the door. The red head closed the door quickly. Pulling the younger girl back into the room, she pushed Lizzy back into her seat.

"Okay, you need to stop that too." Serena pointed at her.

"But, that's what I always do."

"Didn't we just talk about changing what side you show Ciel?" She sat back down in her own chair and rubbed her forehead.

"But..."

"Listen, you can't approach like that."

"Why?"

Serena looked around, rubbed a hand over her face and then twisted her hands in her lap.

"Because it's annoying. You yelling through the house for him makes everybody cringe."

The blonde sunk into her chair.

"Look, you want him to look at you as a woman that he would marry?" She waited for the other's nod. "Then act like it. Ladies don't go running through the house, yelling at the top of their lungs. If nobody is dying, they walk calmly out of a room, up the stairs and knock on the door."

Lizzy nodded again.

"Ciel is a quiet person. He's very cerebral and you're loud. Very loud. He can't handle loud if nobody's dying. There is a lot going on up there. Every time that you yell, this," Serena waved her hands around her head. "Stops. And everything that was in there flies out the window. Which automatically puts him a bad mood."

"Why?"

"It's like reading a book. Someone comes screaming into the room and what do you do? You drop the book to find out what's going on and in the meantime, you've lost your place. It's irritating, isn't it, when you find out that it's not an emergency? That is what happens to strategic people. He loses his mental place. A gentle knock, allows him to put a mental bookmark in what he's thinking about and he can come back to it later. Therefore, leaving him more receptive to whatever it is that you want to talk about."

"Right." She stood and marched out of the room without a word.

"Well, it is an improvement." Serena watched her go and flopped back in her chair. "It'll work for now."

*********************A Demon's Mate************************

After Lizzy had left the salon, Serena felt an undeniable urge. Leaving the warm and cozy room, she struck out across the hall. The dining room held the door that was easiest to get to the servants' part of the house. Leaving the splendor of the Earl's living area, the red head went down the halls that were almost as familiar as the noble's rooms.

He was in the kitchen. Exactly as she had anticipated. He wasn't paying attention, mixing something in a large bowl. When she touched his shoulder, the man jumped.

"Oh, Miss Serena. Can I get you something?" Bardroy set down the bowl and wiped his hands on the towel hanging from his apron.

"Yes actually. Where are your cigarettes?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Where are your cigarettes?" She added a slight glare, hoping to intimidate him. It didn't work, but then again, he was a full head taller than her.

"Now, Miss. I really don't think that smoking is something that you need to be taking up. It's not something that a lady like yourself should do."

Serena grabbed the front of his white jacket and hauled him forward. Bard yelled but the look on her face made him focus.

"Look, I just spent the whole morning explaining to Lizzy what it is that makes Ciel not want to spend time with her, as well as what she needs to do to fix it. I want a cigarette and you constantly have one hanging out of your mouth. Now, where are your cigarettes?" She kept eye contact as the soldier weighed his options.

"Inside pocket."

She kept a hold of his jacket with one hand while the other delved into the jacket and pulled out a half full pack. Pulling out one, white stick, Serena smelled the tobacco and sighed.

"Oh, my old friend." She put the stick between her lips and looked at the cook expectantly. He hurried to light a match for her, afraid that she would start looking for one herself. The girl inhaled deeply.

"Thank you." She said, letting the smoke out.

"Miss, smoking is a very bad habit."

"I know. I know. After this, I am right back off it." She took another drag and felt herself relax farther. "I hate teenagers. I even hated myself as a teenager. Everything is life and death. So much drama. Just deal with it and move on, damn."

Bard laughed and went back to his bowl.

"Well, I guess that I can't say much. Lately, my life has been nothing but drama. It started when I came here."

"It normally does. There's something about this place that makes the unusual come out in everyone." He waved the whisk to encompass the house.

"What are you making anyway?" Serena tried to peek over his shoulder.

"It's a surprise." He moved so that the contents weren't seen.

 _'I should probably warn Sebastian about this.'_ The red head tried again and was blocked again.

 _'Warn me about what, my mate?'_

 _'Bard is cooking a surprise.'_

She heard a sigh in her head. _'I will deal with it. What are you doing in the kitchen?'_

 _'Just needed a break from the angst.'_

 _'The kitchen is no place for a lady.'_

 _'Not a lady, remember. I'm the old maid that gets to be chaperone for the young and stupid teenagers.'_

 _'I would not call you an old maid.'_ She could hear the suggestion in his voice and felt a blush come over her cheeks. ' _You know what you said earlier about cats was incorrect.'_

 _'Shut up. It sounded good and that's all that matters.'_

"Miss Serena, are you alright?" Bard's question broke her concentration.

"I'm fine." She threw the cigarette out the small window above the counter. "Thank you, Bard. I'm ready to face them again now."

The cook shook his head as she smiled and walked out of the room without another word.

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

When Lizzy finally made it to Ciel's office, she was surprised to find the door open and the room empty. She was coming back to the central staircase when she spotted her fiancé and his butler leaving the Earl's rooms. The girl opened her mouth to yell for him when Serena's face popped up in her mind. Straightening her shoulders, Lizzy walked down the hall and met them.

"Ciel."

"Oh, Lizzy. Was there something that you needed?" The Earl tugged on the cuffs of his outfit.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." She finally noticed that he was wearing fencing whites. "Are you practicing today?"

"Yes. I haven't been able to practice as I normally would recently."

"That's great." Everyone turned to Serena coming up the stairs. "Lizzy, why don't you be Ciel's partner?"

"You fence?" Ciel asked in amazement.

"Of course. Mother taught me." She said with her nose in the air.

"It's good to have a different partner every once in a while. Mix it up a little." The red head smiled.

"Perhaps you're right. Do you have your things with you, Lizzy?"

"I...I do." _'Is he really going to let me fence with him?'_

Ciel looked to Serena and got a nod. "Alright. We normally use the ballroom for the space."

"I'll change and meet you there." She smiled while spinning for the door to her own rooms.

Serena watched her go before noticing that Ciel was staring at her.

"What? You said that you would feel better knowing that Lizzy could take care of herself. Here's your chance to test her."

The Earl just shook his head and strode down the hall. Sebastian leaned down and sniffed the air around his mate.

"Have you been smoking?" He asked.

"Let it go."

"Smoking is a disgusting habit." The demon leaned down to look her in the eye.

"I know and I quit a while ago."

"Then why do you smell like it now?"

"Because I was stressed and stole one from Bardroy."

"I will inform him that he is not to share his filthy cigarettes with you again." Sebastian straightened.

"I threatened him for it. It's not like he offered."

"You are using a crutch, just like the alcohol."

"Really, I didn't notice." Sarcasm rolled off her in waves as she crossed her arms. "Lizzy stressed me out. I had one cigarette and I'm better now. I already told Bard that one was it. You don't have to go around behind me and tell others what I can and cannot do. I know what I did was wrong."

"You are angry." The demon cocked his head to the side.

"Very perceptive. Could it be that you're trying the whole controlling thing again?" Serena whipped her skirts behind her and went down the stairs to the ballroom. Sebastian watched her go, rubbing his forehead.

*********************A Demon's Mate***********************

"Alright, here's what we're going to do." Serena picked up Lizzy's mask and tugged it over the younger girl's head. "Ciel needs to see that you are capable of defending yourself. He's not a normal man, but you still can't pummel him into the ground. All men have that pride thing that, when stomped on, rules out any better judgment. So, defeat him. Don't annihilate him."

"Right." The blonde straightened her plastron. "I'm afraid that I will hurt his pride if a girl is better than him."

"Ciel is not a fighter, and he knows it. He's the brains of the operation." She could see that this was getting them nowhere but Lizzy more stressed.

"I'll walk around the outside of the room. If you see me go like this," she gave a thumbs up. "You're doing good. If you see me do this," She waved her hands like she was tamping something down. "It means, take it easy. That you're pushing too hard."

Lizzy nodded and picked up her tipped foil. It had been a gift from her mother when the child had started to surpass her teacher. The metal was perfectly weighted, the weapon exactly suited to her size, height and grip. She swung it a few times, readying herself, before walking forward. Ciel met her in the center of the room. There was something different about facing him now. No matter what she said, no matter what she did, this was the test of whether their engagement would fail or survive. He knew it too. The lady found herself facing a different being than her childhood love. There was a coldness in his stance, weapon in hand with his fearsome butler just over his shoulder.

 _'Yes, I always tried to hide it, tried to rationalize it away, but Sebastian has always frightened me a little. It never mattered that much because I knew that he would protect Ciel and I outranked him. But here, my standing against his master, even in a mock battle, there is something terrifying that radiates from him. A warning, if this match becomes real.'_ A shiver ran down her spine. _'He really would do it. If I hurt Ciel, he'd...Sebastian would kill me. Good. That's how a butler of the Queen's Guard Dog should be.'_

Both raised their swords in a salute. When the blades lowered, the threat of Sebastian faded from her mind. As they circled round each other, there was only her opponent. That she happened to love.

************************A Demon's Mate**********************

Ciel had felt uneasy about this from the moment that Serena suggested it. This whole thing went against every courtly rule that he had ever learned, from tutors and from Sebastian. A man didn't fight a lady. A man definitely did not engage their fiancé in combat. However, Serena's words had echoed in his mind. Could Lizzy really defend herself? Could she actually beat him?

 _'Why do I listen to her so much? This is wrong. Even with the protective whites, it's possible to injure your opponent If I hurt Lizzy...I'll never forgive myself.'_ As he walked to the center, the Earl looked to the red head that started all this. _'Why does she have to get involved? Why do I listen to her? Why does a part of me hope that she is wrong and that this will push Lizzy further away? Why do I want the manor back to just us? Why do I feel like Lizzy is an intruder, a foreign being not welcome in our little world?'_

He raised his own sword as Lizzy raised hers. Ciel admitted that her form was excellent. There was a possibility that Serena had been right, that she had seen his fiancé's talent when he hadn't. But, it didn't matter. It didn't change what he wanted in his life.

 _'I know what I want. I want to find the people who tried to destroy the Phantomhives. Who tried to destroy me. I know that Sebastian will bring me that. I want to show the world that we're not dead. That the Earl of Phantomhive has risen from the ashes of his own death and created an empire that would never had happened if we had been left alone. I want the family, my family, to endure.'_ His thoughts shifted in an instant from the past to the future. _'I want Serena to stay. I want her to feel that this is her home. I want to watch that demon give in to his emotions, give in to the humanity that she represents. I want to show her all of my home, our home. Serena can look into the depths of the darkness that surrounds the Phantomhive family. I don't want Lizzy to ever have to. I don't want her to see what I've done. What I've become. What I will be. I don't want her to know what Sebastian is. If I let her get close...I won't.'_

Ciel darted into her space with the first thrust. Elizabeth blocked and leapt back to put some space between them. He feinted to the left before attacking the dominate right side.

 _'I don't want her to know how far I've fallen.'_

***********************A Demon's Mate************************

Serena circled the room on edge. There was a killer instinct that surrounded them all, filing the room with its cold promise of death. She looked to Sebastian, but the demon was merely watching the two humans before him. She looked to Elizabeth, but the blonde was too focused on survival to be radiating that feeling.

It was a shock to realize that it was coming from Ciel.

She moved quickly around the outskirts of the room, dodging the moving fighters easily by staying behind the columns that supported a balcony over the room. Sebastian watched her as she ducked behind columns as his Master and Lady Elizabeth performed a deadly dance in the room's center. When Serena reached the demon, he had made sure to stay slightly in front of her.

"I thought Ciel wasn't good in fencing?"

 _"_ Whatever gave you that idea?" Red eyes kept watch over the match even as he answered his mate.

"But, in both the manga and the anime, Ciel isn't a fighter."

"When we first came to the manor, Master set about eradicating whatever weakness that had made him vulnerable to his attackers. While it is true that his talents do not lie in physical combat, Master has made sure that he can be a deadly opponent" Sebastian moved them back a little as the fighting was coming closer. "However, he could not change his body's makeup. Master cannot keep up this pace for very long."

"Hit hard, get them down, before your body gives out."

"Exactly. His lungs will only tolerate this level of activity for so long, while Lady Elizabeth has more stamina but not the killer instinct behind her." A smirk came over the demon's face as he watched both fencers throw more sophisticated moves at the other. "She still sees her fiancé while he only sees another opponent to defeat."

"Why do you seem so happy about this?" Serena asked suspicious.

"I don't know what you mean."

"There is that look again. You're proud that he can do this. That Ciel could fight and defeat Elizabeth without a thought." She yanked a little on his tailcoat to bring his attention to her. "He's not your little demon child."

"I assure you that I do not think of my master as a child. Besides, demons do not have children."

The red head jerked back and his attention shifted to the mock battle again.

 _'If demons don't have children, then how did Sebastian get to be here? Was he...human?'_


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note: I think that Ciel is confused despite what he thinks. He's a teenager and they're always confused. I know that I was, even though I told everyone that I knew everything. I'm not sure that he knows which one that he wants. And if he does, well, he hasn't told me yet. I also want to apologize to all the people that were hoping for little demon babies to be running around at some point. That doesn't fit with the origin I have planned for Sebastian, that I will be explaining...eventually. (Insert author's evil laugh with screechy background music and lightning.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty Two

Serena stared at Sebastian, not noticing the fight going on before in front of them anymore. The demon still didn't take his eyes from his master.

 _'Besides, demon's don't have children.'_

That one sentence bounced around her head, replaying over and over. Questions were right on the tip of her tongue but none would come out. Sebastian suddenly pulled her to the side as Elizabeth was pushed back by Ciel. There was a noticeable breathing echoing around the room, heavy and out of time. Serena's concern shifted to the Earl and whatever questions she had would have to wait.

"He's breaking down," she said softly.

"Yes, Master lasted longer than I had anticipated." Sebastian brought a finger to his lips as he thought about what they had seen. "Still, Lady Elizabeth is strong to have held him off until this point."

They watched from the sidelines as the tide changed. Elizabeth realized it as well and began pushing back. The Earl was quickly put on the defensive, just trying to keep his footing. Serena took a step forward when she realized that Ciel was using all his energy just trying to stay on his feet. The demon held her back, shaking his head. His Master would not appreciate her interference. The weakened body swayed, limbs losing the intricate and powerful movements that had defined him throughout the match. One well timed thrust to the chest sent him down.

Ciel collapsed to the ballroom floor and ripped the mask from his head. Lizzy dropped the foil in her hand, the metallic ring echoing through the room was overpowered by the Earl's coughing and erratic breathing. He rolled over to hold himself up on his arms as his head hung down. His whole body heaved trying to get air into his weakened lungs. The blonde rushed to his side, but the butler still got there faster.

Ciel pushed them all away. "I...I...I'm...fine."

Another round of coughing pushed both girls forward. They were blocked again by Sebastian as the Earl struggled to his feet alone. He was still breathing heavy as he straightened, keeping his back to the others.

Serena remembered the Jack the Ripper arc, after Madame Red had been killed. _'I can stand on my own.'_

"Ciel..." Lizzy started forward but the Earl held up a hand.

"You are...really good." He waited for another round of coughing to finish. "Aunt Francis must be proud."

She nodded as Ciel's breathing finally started to even out. He was still coughing a little as his lungs started to accept the air that they were pulling in.

"You should change, Master." Sebastian clipped his pocket watch shut. "I'm afraid that is all the time that we have allotted to practice today."

The Earl nodded and started slowly out of the room.

"Ciel!"

"I'm fine, Lizzy. You should get cleaned up as well. I still have some paperwork to go over. I'll see you for dinner." He didn't turn as he left the room, faithful butler right behind him.

The blonde threw down her mask as the door closed and turned on Serena.

"I thought you said that you would tell me when to tone it down!"

"There was no time for you to let up. I didn't realize that Ciel was that good at fencing and I apologize for that. It changed what I had planned but you handled it right."

"I knew that I shouldn't have listened to you." Elizabeth put her hands over her face as a sob escaped. "I knew that I shouldn't have accepted this. Aunt Ann was right."

"No, she wasn't. If you had gone easy on Ciel, he would have known and it would have pissed him off. You still don't understand that you saw your fiancé and the man that you've been in love with since you were a child when you stood in the middle of this room." Serena picked up the foil and mask before turning back to the younger girl. "Ciel saw only another opponent to defeat. He wouldn't have appreciated you taking it easy on him. Ciel would have seen it as you were pitying him. If he thought that you were giving him a handicap because he is weaker than you, the damage to your relationship would never be fixable.

"You did the right thing, Elizabeth. Even if you can't see it right this minute. You beat Ciel in a fair fight and he'll respect that. If you had lied to him about how strong you are, he'd never trust you again. In the end, he'd hate you for it."

The blonde fell to her knees, hugging herself as she cried. Serena pried the younger girl's hands away from her sides and put the sword and mask back into them.

"This is who you are. Your mother taught you what you needed to know to be the Countess of Phantomhive. After his parents' murders, Ciel knows what is needed as well. If you're not ashamed that you have that, than there is no reason for him to be ashamed of you." Green eyes looked up, still unsure as the older girl pulled her to her feet.

"Now, let's get you cleaned up. Strength is a good thing in a girl, but showing up in front of your man all sweaty and nasty is never a good idea."

Elizabeth laughed a little and let the red head lead her out of the ballroom. As they crossed the hall, both saw Ciel still on the stairs. Sebastian was behind the Earl as he took each stair slowly, gripping the railing hard. He had almost reached the top when his legs gave out. The butler caught him easily and swung his Master into his arms.

"Master, I believe that has been enough bravado for the day." His voice was soft, but the girls still heard him. Ciel was quiet for a moment before he nodded and laid his head against Sebastian's shoulder in exhaustion. They watched as the two disappeared into the wing housing the Earl's rooms.

"There is something between them too." Lizzy said distracted. "Ever since Ciel came back with Sebastian, I've always seen something between the two of them that leaves no room for anyone else. When I was younger, I thought that they were good friends, as well master and servant. I know now that is not what it is. There is some connection that chains them together and no one can sever it."

Serena looked over, feeling sorry for the other girl. If Ciel was able to find the people that murdered his parents and tried to destroy the Phantomhives, the life that the Elizabeth wanted really would be just a dream.

 _'Oh Lizzy, you don't want to know what their connection is.'_

******************A Demon's Mate******************

Shortly before dinner, Serena caught Sebastian coming out of Ciel's room.

"Master has decided to take dinner in his rooms."

"Is he okay?" She looked to the closed door.

"I assure you he's fine. My Master is just tired." The demon brushed a lock of her hair as he walked past to go down the stairs.

Serena looked to the door again and remembered Elizabeth's crying face.

 _'No way is he going to hide out. I'll get the blame.'_

Nodding to herself, the red head knocked on Ciel's door and waited for him to tell her to come in. She saw the sitting room was empty as she closed the door. The door to the bedroom was open.

"Sebastian, what are you doing out there?"

"Sorry, wrong person." Serena popped her head into the room with a smile. "I wanted to check on you."

"I'm not some invalid."

She raised an eyebrow, taking in the Earl propped up on a stack of pillows with the covers up to his chest. "Well, you're the one who doesn't want to come to dinner. Do you really expect people not to worry?"

Ciel glared at her but she shrugged it off. He realized that he was seeing her through two eyes. With a gasp, the Earl reached over for his eye patch, keeping his hair over his eye. Serena stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"I know that your contract mark is in your eye. You don't have to cover it."

"How do you...One of your books I assume?"

"Yes." She answered simply and brushed the hair away from his eye. "Can you still see out of it?"

"Of course. There is nothing wrong with my eye, just others cannot be allowed to see it." He put a hand over it. "It burns a little when I send Sebastian away for an errand."

"Incentive to keep him close." Serena leaned forward and brushed her thumb over the soft skin below his glowing eye. She saw him swallow hard before he pulled away.

"You really shouldn't be in here. Lizzy and Sebastian will get suspicious."

"I never get why everybody thinks that if two people are in a bedroom together that there is something going on. I'm just visiting. You're the one who won't get out of bed. So, I guess I'll visit here." Serena smiled as she jumped up on the side of the bed. "Do you feel better now?"

He glared out the window. "Yes."

"What is it?"

"I hate that I'm so weak."

"You're not weak, Ciel. You're not a physical combat person. So what? Neither am I. At least you know something about defending yourself."

Ciel fiddled with the blanket that he was crushing in his fists.

"I mean, look at the time that I've been here. I was drug around London by Elizabeth and wished I could have slept for a week. I was captured by a demon and had to wait for Sebastian to rescue me. And I was almost killed by a reaper. It was pure luck that I didn't fall and break my neck while Grell was chasing me. The only thing that I can do is draw. At least can say that you're a smarty pants."

He nodded with a smirk.

"You should feel better about Elizabeth now." The red head nudged his leg with a smile.

"I do." The Earl sighed, still playing with the blanket. "I still don't want to bring her into this."

"You love her."

Ciel jerked back, staring at the red head in shock.

"You do. It may not be that, be all end all, the world is hearts and flowers, I have to marry you right now because I can't spend another minute without you kind, but it's there."

He shifted in the bed, obviously uncomfortable with the discussion.

"Honestly, I don't think that is love anyway. I think that's infatuation. It's fleeting, you can't keep up that level of intense forever."

"I agree with that, but I think that is what she's expecting."

"Maybe, Elizabeth is still a teenager, but I think that she'll come to realize that's not what makes a marriage. You told me once that most people in your class sometimes hate who they have to marry. You and Elizabeth have been together your whole lives. She puts up with your grumpy and you, reluctantly, put up with her annoying. I would bet that there are a lot of marriages that turned out alright, based on a hell of a lot less."

Ciel nodded, still thinking.

"Good." She slapped a hand on his leg. "Now that you've had your pep talk, get dressed. Come down to dinner and show Elizabeth that you're alright."

"Fine," he huffed.

Serena smiled and slid off the bed. As she reached the doorway to the sitting room, Ciel called her back.

"How do you know? That I love Lizzy?"

She held the doorframe as she looked her shoulder.

"You wouldn't be so worried about her if you didn't. I'll see you downstairs." The red head walked through the sitting room and out the main door. When it had closed behind her, Serena let out a sigh. "When did I become Dear Abby?"

***********************A Demon's Mate********************

Sebastian stepped into his Master's bedroom smelling his mate's perfume. Irritation rose to the surface but was swiftly shoved back down. His Master stood at the window in his nightshirt. The confused look on his face as he held onto the drapes made him seem younger than the demon had ever seen in their time together.

"Master, is something bothering you?"

"It's nothing." The Earl turned from the window, his face set in its normal lines. However, Sebastian could still see the worry hidden beneath the surface. "I've decided to go down for dinner."

"Very well. Then we must get you dressed." The butler moved quickly to the room housing his Master's clothing, choosing a green suit that was appropriate as well as comfortable.

"Was Serena is here again, Master?"

"You know that she was. She said that she was visiting since I wouldn't get out of bed."

"I see. I will inform her that it is not appropriate for her to be in your bedroom, Master." Sebastian slid the gray waistcoat over the Earl's shoulders.

"I highly doubt that will do any good. Serena does what she pleases and you should get used to that."

"Yes, I believe that you are correct." He held out the coat that matched the rest of the suit. "Master, I have noticed that you seem rather attached to my mate."

"What of it?"

"I feel I should warn you that I do not share."

Ciel thought of all the times that Sebastian had kept people from touching him. His expression when Lizzy would hug him or he would have to escort the blonde to some function. The Earl had always thought that the demon's aversion to others touching Ciel came from Ciel's own need to not be touched. Now, he wondered if it was the demon not wanting anyone to touch his prey.

A laugh bubbled up before he could stop it. "Believe me, Sebastian. You have made that more than clear in the years since our contract was made. Yes, I like Serena. If she wasn't bound to you I probably would have broken my engagement to Lizzy so that I could have her."

A low growl filled the room.

"However, she is with you and I know better than to pursue a woman that is already taken." Ciel glared at his demon in the mirror. "Besides, you're the one who is acting on nothing but his emotions lately."

Sebastian jerked back at the observation and the truth behind it. The Earl straightened his shoulders and moved for the door to the hall.

"Sebastian?" He didn't turn back around, just stared at the door in front of him.

"Yes, Master."

"After our business is finished, you will watch over Serena better."

The demon knelt on one knee and put his hand over his black heart. "Yes, my lord."

****************A Demon's Mate******************

After everyone had gone to sleep, Serena sat up looking out her window. Snow was falling once again and she found herself enchanted by the all-white landscape that was bathed in moonlight. There were no tracks in the snow, all the bushes and trees and pathways were covered once more. The world from her window looked fresh and clean.

 _'Does it look like this at home after it snows? No, normally there are still cars making tracks and plows moving the snow off the roads. There are still lights in everyone's house, making the moon and stars shine duller. The longer I'm here, the more I don't want to go home. Maybe I'm supposed to be here?'_ The girl laughed at herself. _'Although, I would kill for a pair of jeans right now. And maybe a Big Mac.'_

Her stomach growled and the red head sighed. _'Great. Now, I've made myself hungry.'_

The house was quiet as she made her way downstairs, just as peaceful as outside. Everyone had gone to bed long before and she could almost hear the tranquil dreaming coming from the other rooms. Ciel's presence at dinner had brightened Elizabeth's spirits considerably. The blonde had remembered what Serena had told her and had managed to rein herself in all through the meal. After, Lizzy had played the piano in the music room for them, another skill that Ciel knew nothing about, but admired. Both teens had retired to their rooms at the end of the night, content with their little worlds, and Serena happy that she could help.

 _'So then, why did I feel a little jealous everytime that Ciel would talk to Elizabeth? Best not examine that too closely.'_

Serena opened the door to the kitchen and wasn't surprised to see Sebastian moving about the room.

"I'm beginning to think that this is your favorite room in the house." She laughed as the door shut behind her.

"There are preparations that have to be made for tomorrow."

"Because the chef really can't cook?"

The demon smirked at her and pulled a bowl down from a cabinet.

"And the maid can't really clean and the gardener is a plant killer."

"Our household is a little strange."

"I couldn't imagine it any other way."

"I suppose that it is interesting." Sebastian looked to his mate. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I was looking for a snack." Serena laughed as she headed into the pantry. She felt Sebastian behind her and tried to ignore him as she looked around.

"What would my mate desire?" His fingers trailed lightly down her neck and the demon smiled at the shiver he saw go through her.

Serena's stomach grumbled again and the girl blushed as he laughed.

"Food first then." The demon pressed a kiss to her temple and stepped around her. "What would you like?"

"I don't suppose that you have a Big Mac hiding in one of those barrels?"

"A what?"

"Yeah, I didn't think so." Serena sighed as she looked at the shelves. "I don't know what I want."

Sebastian led his mate out of the pantry and over to the small table in the kitchen's corner. Holding out her chair, he waited for her to sit before going back to the cupboards. The demon kept his back to her as he worked and the admitted that she was curious at what he was making.

"You know, being in a time period where most women are expected to be in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant, seeing a man in an apron is kind of hot."

He smirked as he brought a plate over. Even without baking, there was a small cake with berries she could see in it, slightly steaming in the plate's center. Serena picked up the fork he had laid next to the plate while admitting that it his creation looked really good.

"Isn't it winter?" She poked one of the berries.

"It is. Wait." Sebastian placed a dollop of fresh cream on the cake and went back to the counter for a sprig of mint. He placed the garnish on the side and wiped the small spot of cream on the rim of the plate. With a smile, the demon pushed the plate toward her and waited.

Serena looked between the dessert and the smiling face for a moment.

"Oh my...you enjoy this. This is your favorite room in the house because you enjoy this butler schtick."

"I suppose you are right. There is a certain pride one feels making everything run perfectly."

She pointed the fork at him and teased, "Pride's a sin."

"So it is." The demon smirked again before going back to pick up the small mess that he had created.

Serena took a bite of the midnight dessert and felt a moan come out of her throat. Her eyes closed in absolute bliss. "This is so good."

"It is one of master's favorites however, he wants me to do things the human way. He can only have it in the summer." Sebastian came around the table and knelt beside her. He gently took the fork from her hand and got a small whimper for it. Serena's pout turned into a blush when he held another piece on the fork for her to take.

"I can feed myself."

"Indulge me."

She sighed but opened her mouth to take the bite. Sebastian's eyes reverted to the swirling crimson of his demon form as he watched her eat what he had prepared. The pair remained silent, Sebastian feeding her and Serena accepting each wonderful bite. The plate was almost empty when the demon looked to the small door leading out of the mansion.

"Someone's here?"

"Several someones." Sebastian turned back to her with a smile. "I think it is past time for you to be in bed."

Serena hurried to get out of her chair and found herself being picked up.

"We are in a bit of a hurry, my mate. Close your eyes."

She did as instructed and felt wind passing over her face as her body swayed with his graceful steps. When she opened her eyes again, the pair stood in her bedroom. Sebastian set her down gently before going to pull the curtains shut.

"Please do not leave this room and don't look outside."

"Sebastian."

"It's alright. You should get some sleep." He came back to lead her to the bed and pulled the covers down.

"Will you come back? After..." She waved her hand at the window.

"Of course." Sebastian settled the blankets around his mate and disappeared.

Serena shivered and looked at the closed window. She started to push the blankets back but stopped.

 _'Go to sleep, my mate.'_

As soon as the voice went through her mind, she felt the pull of exhaustion and fell back against the pillows.

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Breakfast the next day was stilted with Serena silently glaring at the demon serving them. Ciel and Elizabeth didn't seem to feel the tension as the Earl read the morning paper and Lizzy chattered about plans for the day. The red head ignored them both and focused on the plate in front of her. The word London pulled her out of her funk.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Lizzy wants to go into the city today." Ciel folded the flap of his paper down to glare at the girl as if say _'pay attention.'_

"I want Ciel and I to have matching outfits for the ball."

"Ball?" Serena looked back and forth between them.

"Really?" Ciel finally put his paper down and decided to humor Serena. "The Midfords hold a ball every year on the eve of the New Year. This time it's a masked ball and everyone is expected to come in costume."

"That sounds like fun. You get to be someone else for a little while." Serena smiled as she took a sip of her tea. She looked at the eyepatch on the Earl's face. "I think you should go as pirates."

"That's a great idea!" Lizzy started to chatter about potential costumes.

"Ow!" Serena gasped at the boot that connected with her leg.

**********************A Demon's Mate***********************

"So, what is your problem anyway?" Serena strode into Ciel's office and the teen dropped the papers in his hand as the door closed. "You kicked me."

"I don't want to go into town with Lizzy. Even with a costume idea, I'll be stuck all day at the dressmaker's." He glared at her. "Now, she thinks that you're on board with this too and there is no way for me to get out of going."

"I'm sorry. Really, the pirate thing was a joke."

"I don't very much care what we go as. I tried to tell Lizzy that whatever she picks is fine."

"You may not want to do that. Knowing her, she'd have you going as the Easter Bunny. A pink Easter Bunny."

"This is a disaster." He raised a hand to rub his forehead as Serena came around his desk. He jumped as the red head laid her hands of his shoulders. Ciel's head slumped forward as her fingers started to kneed his shoulders.

"You need to relax. You're a heart attack in the making. Especially with all that rich food you eat. It can't be that bad. Just go with her into the shop, pick something out and leave."

"It's not that simple." He gasped as she hit a spot next to his neck.

"What do you mean? What's so hard about picking a costume when you don't really give a damn about what you go as?"

"You spent a whole day with Lizzy in London and you still ask me what could take so long?"

"Dressmaker's shop. She's going to want a new dress." The girl shook her head as the problem came to her.

"Or three. And she'll want to look at every piece of fabric and every single design and this will turn into an all-day event." Ciel shook his head. "I don't have time for this."

"Alright." Serena let go his shoulders. "I'm going to break about fifty girl laws and teach you how to get out of this."

"And how would that be?" He asked as she went to the chair in front of the desk.

Her explanation was interrupted as Sebastian came into the room with the daily post on a tray.

"Talk about having the world delivered to you on a silver platter." The red head laughed.

Ciel ignored her and took the letters. "Serena is going to teach me how to get out of spending all day at Miss Nina's shop."

"Really? I did not think that was possible." The butler watched her in disbelief. He came to stand at her side as she started telling them her plan.

"First off, go with her. Don't fight it anymore, just go. When you get to the shop, pick out your costumes first. We all know after that, Lizzy will start looking through the fabric and you are going to let her. You walk around the shop too. Find the ugliest swatch that is in that store. And I mean ugly. That fabric that almost makes you want to puke looking at it. Put that to the side but remember where you found it."

"Once you have found that piece, look around the shop and find another piece of ugly fabric that's not as bad. Show her that one. Now, they're going to look at you like you're crazy. Lizzy will probably try to be nice and say something like that's just not what she's looking for. Put it back and go find another one. Same thing all over again. Now, go for your coup de gras. Bring her that ugliest piece of fabric in the store. She's going to be irritated by now and she'll let you have it.

"Oh, Ciel. How could you pick out something so awful? You want me to be the laughingstock of parties. How can you pick all those ugly pieces when you dress so well...whatever. Just let her go. At the end of her tirade, she will expect you to say something. This is how that something should go."

Serena put a hand behind her head and looked up at them from under her lashes, a little sheepish and ashamed. "Actually, Sebastian picks all my clothing. I've always had bad taste I guess. That's why I didn't want to come with. It's embarrassing, Lizzy."

The girl went back to normal. "She'll feel bad about putting you in such a situation and tell you to go to the house and just send the carriage back for her. An all-day outing has been reduced to two hours. Max."

Ciel stared at her. "There is no way that is going to work."

"Trust me."

"I could just tell her that I was injured yesterday."

"No, because then she'll insist that Miss Nina come to the house and it will still tie up your whole day." Serena's smile faded as she saw something crawling along the edge of the desktop. She reached to the side slowly and took the silver platter from Sebastian's hand. With a quick move, the girl slammed it down on the small creature. Both men jumped at the crash and watched her slide the platter off the desk.

When she handed it back, Sebastian looked at what she had killed.

"A spider?"

"All that for a spider?" Ciel looked at her confused.

"Spiders are evil." She pointed to the Earl. "You should remember that."

******************A Demon's Mate****************

In the end, Lizzy insisted that Serena go with them into town. Since she had no intention of going to the ball, as much fun as it sounded, she really didn't want to see Lady Francis again or be a third wheel. She sat back while they discussed costumes with the tailor. Sebastian had been sent on errands, leaving her no one to talk to. Despite the strange and energetic artist that Miss Nina was, her attention quickly wandered to the bustling street outside.

 _'I thought that the nobles stayed at their country houses between Christmas and New Years. I guess that's not everyone.'_

Seeing that Ciel and Lizzy were well drawn into their discussion, Serena started to slide out the door.

"Serena."

She jumped and looked back to the Earl.

"I think you should remember the last time that you wandered off in London."

"I won't go far and I won't talk to anyone." She raised a hand like she was being sworn in at a courthouse. "I promise."

"I suppose it's alright," He sighed and waved one of his calling cards at her. "If you see something, tell the merchants to have the bills sent to the house."*

She took the card with a smile. "I will. Thank you, Ciel."

 _'I guess the Victorian era had its own way making sure that people were who they said they were.'_

Out in the streets, Serena was entranced by the hustle and bustle of London's streets. If not for the sound of horses instead of cars, she could almost imagine she was still in Tokyo. The sound of a crowd was the same no matter where you went. People who knew each other were stopping to say hello as merchants and vendors were trying to entice potential customers. The cold meant nothing as the flow of the crowd moved from shop to shop and street to street.

Serena let herself be carried with the flow when she saw a park.

 _'That must be Hyde Park.'_

Even here, people milled around in the winter sunshine. Horse riders were following the trails, some in couples and some in groups. Carriages cut through the park's paths, seeing and being seen. Nannies watched children that had been bundled up for the cold as they played in the knee-deep snow. Noblemen walked with ladies on their arms and a servant or two behind them. Serena sat on a bench that had been cleared of snow and watched the people around her.

 _'It's always like this. Watching, not participating. For some reason, that's okay right now.'_

"Is this seat taken?"

Serena looked to see a man in front of her. There was nothing exceptional about him. The man was neither handsome nor ugly. While dressed well, there was no indication of wealth in his clothing and he carried a simple walking cane. Silver hair seen from the sides of his top hat suggested that the man was past his prime, but the way he carried himself made him seem ageless. He was someone who could easily blend into the crowd around them and no one would be able to pick him out.

"Miss?"

Serena blushed when she realized that she had been staring and moved over.

"No, please sit."

"Thank you." The man settled gracefully on the bench and leaned on his cane. "Hyde Park is one of my favorite places. It's always so..."

"Peaceful." The red head finished for him and the man smiled. They watched the people going about their lives in silence for a few minutes when he shifted to look at her.

"How are you enjoying your trip to the Victorian era, Serena?"

*Author's Note and Historical Fact (maybe): I always knew that ladies carried calling cards for visits to friends or acquaintances during the Victorian Era, but a website I was looking through said that men carried them as well. Of course for business this made sense. What was interesting to note was that the master of the house could give one of his cards to a visiting relative or a new bride, that hadn't had her own made yet, to prove that they were associated with the master's family in some way. Since I've never heard of this custom before now, it may be incorrect, so don't quote me on it. If I'm wrong, please let me know.


	23. Chapter 23

Author's Note: I really don't have anything to say this time. Probably has to do with the migraine I have building currently. Oh wait. One of my lovely readers had found an article online about why couples sleep together and emotional as well as chemical bond that forms between them. I have to go back through my email to find the exact address but it was very interesting.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty Three

"How are you enjoying your trip to the Victorian era, Serena?"

Her head snapped around so fast it hurt. There was nothing to give away his thoughts on the man's face, only a smile. Eyes that she hadn't been able to see before were blue as the sky, seeming to contain a world all their own, and laughing at her. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Until the man started laughing.

"You! You're the one who brought me here?" She finally asked.

"I am." He nodded.

"Who are you?"

"Who do you think I am?" He teased with a gentle smile. Serena looked at the ground as her hands dug into the wood of the bench.

"After what Undertaker said, I could only think of two beings that could mess with time." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "But, which one are you?"

The man leaned close as though telling a secret. "Actually, there is only one. You could say that I'm on the opposite side of your Sebastian."

Serena's eyes bugged out of her head and the man laughed again.

"Why did you bring me here?" She asked, breathless with shock.

"You're not supposed to ask why." He turned back to the crowds, dismissing her question.

"Then how is anybody supposed to know anything?"

"How will you learn truth if you believe everything that is told to you?" He countered.

"Well, since you're the only one who knows why you brought me here..."

"True." The man seemed to think for minute. "I guess I could tell you this once."

Serena waited. When nothing was said, the red head turned back to stare at him and waved her hands. "Well?"

He smiled at her impatience. "Your Sebastian."

"Sebastian?"

He nodded, smile still in place.

"But why bring me here? He's a demon. He could just as easily find me in 100 years." The red head put some effort into whispering when all she wanted to do was yell. It wouldn't be good for the rest of the park to think she was crazy.

The man stared at Serena, one eyebrow raised, unwilling to give her any more information. After a minute of thinking, it hit her like a ton of bricks.

"His contract with Ciel."

"I was hoping a mate would...shift his focus." The man looked back to the people in the park, blissfully unaware of what was going on at the bench. "Your Sebastian has given me a little trouble for a while now. He is rather intelligent and I had thought that it would occur to him that I was holding back your meeting for a reason."

"Again, how are people supposed to know this?" Serena threw her hands up and he just laughed at her.

"And again, you're supposed to find the reason for yourself. I expect there to be some higher thought involved. Even with demons."

"So, I was sent to distract Sebastian from Ciel? Why didn't you just send me to before their contract was made?" She didn't wait for an answer that wasn't coming as a tear ran down her cheek at the thought of the young Earl's fate. "I tried. I've tried to get Sebastian to let Ciel go, but he won't. And I think that Ciel...It's more than just a deal is a deal for him. I think he's almost looking forward to it. He'd hate it if I got Sebastian to let him go."

"Shh, child." He picked up a lock of her hair. "You are right. That boy is rather attached to his demon. Your Sebastian certainly is more...likeable than some demons."

"Why do you keep calling him my Sebastian?" She wiped the tears off her cheeks, pulling herself back together.

"Well, he's certainly not mine." He tugged her hair with a smile before letting it go.

Serena found herself laughing. "No. No, I guess not."

The man smiled as he looked up one of the paths.

"I believe that our time has run out. Before I go, you should ask Undertaker about the origin of demons. He will be able to answer some of your questions." He stood gracefully and tipped his hat to her. "Do not worry about Ciel, Serena. I will simply have to think of something else."

The man walked into one of the crowds that was passing their little bench before she could protest. He blended in with the passing people just as easily as she had thought he would.

"Wait!" She stood, trying to find him.

"Miss Serena."

She turned to see William and Ronald coming up another path. When she turned back, the man had completely disappeared. Serena scanned the various crowds but it was useless. She sighed in defeat, turning back to the reapers.

"I see that demon left you on your own again." William stopped in front of her, his expression as cool as usual.

"Not exactly, I kind of wandered off." She was still looking around them.

"You really haven't learned anything." Ronald shook his head with a smile. "Are you looking for someone?"

Serena opened her mouth to answer but nothing would come out. Her body started to shake and William caught her as her knees went out. He pushed the red head back to sit on the bench again with an arm around her shoulders. Ronald looked around them, making sure that people didn't notice what was going. Not knowing what else to do, he stood in front of them to block the view of most of the park.

"You're going into shock. Just relax." The reaper rubbed a hand up and down her arm as the girl's entire body shook. He could feel the goosebumps on her skin and pulled a little closer. Serena leaned into the warmth.

Slowly, the adrenaline stopped. Minutes passed and Serena was able to stop shaking. The elder reaper picked up the same lock of hair and studied her.

"What?"

"You've been touched by something divine." He said absentmindedly while touching the red length that had fallen from the rest.

"Yeah, you could say that." She stood, but swayed on her feet. "I...I need to see Undertaker."

"You are rather shaken up. We will see you back to Phantomhive's townhouse."

"No!" Both reapers jumped at the sharp response. "I need to see Undertaker, and it needs to be without Ciel or Sebastian."

William studied her for a moment, seeing the resolve and the fear hidden underneath. "Very well. Ronald and I will escort you."

Serena nodded and looked around her one last time. When she looked back, William held his hand out. She took it hesitantly, still thinking of what had happened. The reaper escorted her out of the park with Ronald on her other side. The trio entered an alley near the park's entrance and Serena pulled back a little.

"It's alright. I know a quicker way to the Undertaker's parlor but we need to be away from people." William walked over to one of the walls and put his hand on it. A black hole appeared, the same as before.

********************A Demon's Mate********************

Serena popped out behind William into an alley across from Undertaker's shop. Ronald brought up the rear and waved his hand over the hole to make it disappear. She looked back at the untouched brick, running a hand over it.

"Okay, even as freaked out as I am, that's pretty cool."

"Quite. Shall we go?" William waved to the shop.

"Right." The red head took a deep breath before going across the street. Ronald moved in front to open the door for her and was rewarded with a smile. "Thank you."

Behind her, William glared at the wink the younger reaper shot her.

"Oh, hell!" Serena backpedaled out of the doorway, bumping into William.

"Harlot!"

"Honestly, what are you doing here?" He glared at Grell standing in the shop as he pushed the girl behind him.

Undertaker laughed at the scene in front of him. "The council asked me to watch our friend here after they caught him trying to escape."

"Maybe this isn't a good time." Serena popped her head over William's shoulder.

"Oh, it's alright. He's harmless without his deathscythe." Undertaker held up the chainsaw, bands around the deadly sharp chain.

"Give me that back! I'll get rid of that man-stealing hussy right now!" Grell made a dive for the weapon but the other reaper merely held it behind him. Undertaker danced around the shop, over coffins and in front of shelves of urns, as Grell chased and dived after him. Every time the red reaper missed, the ancient would laugh harder.

"Sutcliff!" William walked forward and smacked his underling in the head with his logbook. "Stop being such a problem."

Grell sunk down with a hand on his head, looking pitiful. "But, Will..."

"But nothing. I'm sick of dealing with you. I'm sick of your mood swings, I'm sick of cleaning up after you and I'm sick of hearing about that damned demon!" He grabbed Grell by the arm and hauled him to one of the coffins. "Now, you are going to sit here and be quiet. Is that understood?"

"Oh, William. Perhaps I've been pursuing the wrong beast." He pawed at the manager's jacket with a sly smile.

William let out a heavy sigh as his shoulders slumped.

Serena tried to stifle a laugh but it wasn't working. She and Ronald snickered like school children until the manager's gaze came to them. Both straightened and had the decency to look apologetic.

"What brings you my way?" Undertaker pulled Serena to another coffin top and took a seat next to her. He picked up the same lock of hair with a seriousness that was strange from the reaper. "Someone's had a spiritual experience."

"You could say that." She pulled the hair back.

"Why are you here?" The silver-haired man stroked the same piece of hair. His head fell to the side and Serena could finally see the glowing green eyes of the ancient reaper.

"He said that I should ask you about the origin of demons." She shivered under the sudden scrutiny those eyes subjected her to.

"Ah, it is a secret that I stumbled upon a long time ago." Undertaker snickered when he saw he had everyone's attention. William and Ronald had taken a seat on either side of Grell and waited. "Demons originally played for the other team."

********************A Demon's Mate********************

Sebastian entered the Miss Nina's shop to hear the last of Lady Elizabeth's words.

"Oh, Ciel. I'm sorry." The blonde looked up as he entered the shop. "And there's Sebastian. Why don't you go back to the house? Miss Nina and I will figure this out."

"Thank you for understanding, Lizzy." The Earl bowed a little to his fiancé.

"Not at all. You can't help that you're a man. Now, leave us. I'll have a dress for Lady Elizabeth that will knock you off your feet." The tailor picked up a bolt of cloth and turned her back on the Earl.

"I'll send Sebastian back."

"Say about three hours?" Nina was already putting different patterns together, waving the men off.

"Alright. We'll see you then." When Ciel got to Sebastian, he quickly brushed past the butler. "Let's get out of here while we can."

Once they were on the street, the earl sighed in relief. "I can't believe that actually worked. It went almost exactly as Serena predicted."

"Master, where is Serena?"

"She should be in one of the shops nearby." Ciel waved a bored hand down the street.

"She is not nearby. I cannot feel her at all."

"You can feel where she is?" He blinked at the demon.

"Yes, and she is not in this area."

"Bloody hell! She swore that she wouldn't go that far." The Earl rubbed a hand over his face, trying to calm down. Sebastian was already looking up and down the streets, hoping that he was wrong. Finally, Ciel looked around. "Serena turned this way when she left the shop."

"I will take you home and return."

"No, I'm coming with you. Stupid girl. She'll be lucky if I don't thrash her." He set off down the street, the demon trailing behind him.

"We are in accord as always, Master."

The two moved through the crowds that had picked up with the midday sun. Ciel looked in each shop window they passed, hoping to see a flash of red. Sebastian kept his senses open, calling out in his mind but received no response each time. When they passed an alley, the demon stopped.

"What is it? Did you find her?"

"Reapers. They used a pathway near here. I can feel Serena's essence with them." The demon walked down the alley and stopped where the hole had been.

"They wouldn't have taken her to see that Council that Knox was talking about would they?"

"I do not believe the Reaper's Council would approve of them taking her without my knowledge. And why would Serena go with them? There has been no fight in this area." Sebastian finally stepped away from the wall.

"Undertaker's parlor then, he has to know what's going on." Ciel started out of the alley, not waiting for his butler.

"I will get the carriage, Master."

**********************A Demon's Mate***********************

"What?!"

Undertaker laughed into his sleeve at their shock.

"That's right. Demon's came into being with the sole purpose of eating the souls that were too corrupted to be reborn. They served, as well as the angels. It was a penance for those who not quite corrupted enough to be eaten, but still carried too much sin to be reborn or allowed into paradise. As their numbers grew, demons became fascinated with the humans, just as some of the angels did. They soon learned that they could take other things from the humans that they watched."

"Their essence." Serena thought back to the little lesson she had already gotten from the reaper and the demons days ago.

"Exactly. With such an easy meal, they weren't limited to the souls that were sent to them. Some lost their powers to consume souls all together and began to feed only the essence, the life force that humans carry. Of course this angered others, the angels specifically. They called for the demons to be cast out of service. It was when Lucifer fell that the demons went with him. By now, the number of demons had grown as well and they were put into categories based on what they fed off of. As time went on and more and more demons came into being, they started to band together. The Elder at the top, is always a soul eater and the strongest. He's rules the 'family.' All the others that are considered members of this 'family' answer to the Elder. Some Elders are more powerful than others depending on the souls that they feed upon."

"I still don't understand what Sebastian's contract with Ciel has to do with it."

"It has everything to do with it." The silver haired reaper slid an arm around Serena's shoulders and pulled her closer. "He's quite intriguing, Lord Phantomhive. The little Earl's soul, while filled with wrath, is not corrupted."

"If he had died that night, Ciel would have been reborn."

"Correct. Just as many of your mate's meals would have been. The demon known as Sebastian Michaelis has acquired a taste for pure souls. And it's gotten him into trouble, it would seem." Undertaker laughed as a nail stroked her cheek.

"He said that I was sent here to distract Sebastian. To pull him away from Ciel."

"It seems that William here isn't the only one upset by the loss of souls to demons." He snickered.

"If you had let me kill her the other night, sweet Bassie would have had his distraction." Grell picked at his nails. "Although, I do hate to kill another red head. There are so few of us."

Serena stared across the room and recognized her chance.

"I always wanted to ask, how do get that color?" She waved to the reaper's hair.

"It's natural!" The reaper stroked some his long hair. "I do punch it up a bit though."

"You have to tell me what you use." The girl leaned forward and could practically see the wheels turning his head. _'Come on, come on. Work.'_

"Oh, alright." Grell rushed over and plopped down next to Serena. "You have to use..."

Everyone watched as the two red head whispered between each other. Ronald looked between them and his boss, confused.

"Are they friends now?"

Will rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a migraine exploding in the back of his head.

"I don't know."

"I never would have thought of that!" Serena touch some of the hair that was near her. "Oh, is that how you get it so soft?"

"No, no. For that you need oils." Grell crossed his legs and settled in for a long discussion.

"I've tried oils before and it never seems to do anything. It just makes my hair greasy at the scalp and frizzy at the bottom."

"I'll bring you some of mine when they let me off the house-arrest."

Undertaker snickered into his long sleeve while the other two men just shook their heads.

 _'Serena!'_

"Ow!" The girl clutched her head, almost falling off the coffin lid. "Not so loud, damn it."

"Serena. Are you alright?" Ronald rushed over, Will right behind him.

"I'm fine. Sebastian is just way too loud." She was still holding her head but the pain was receding.

"Too loud?" William looked around the shop. "But he's not here."

"He's calling for her. In her head." Undertaker explained as he poked her head. Grell smacked his hand away. "I think that you've been away from your demon too long."

The door burst open and Serena grabbed onto the nearest person, that happened to be the red reaper. When Sebastian appeared, the demon roared, heading straight for them. Undertaker danced out of the line of fire as Grell fell back over the coffin in his haste to get away.

"You! How dare you come near my mate again!" The demon bared his fangs at the reaper. His master was right behind him, Ciel pulling out the sword hidden in his walking stick. Darkness filled the room, all the light being sucked out in the demon's anger. William and Ronald backed into the wall behind them, trying to get away from the feathers that were slicing through everything.

"I didn't, Bassie!" Grell back up until there was no more room.

"Whoa!" Serena jumped between them and held a hand against Sebastian's chest. "Calm down there, Feathers. Grell didn't do anything."

"That's right." He peeked from behind the smaller red head. "She came here."

Sebastian snarled at the reaper and tried to advance again. He growled at the hand that still held him back. "You're in the way."

"I'll stay in the way."

Ciel leaned out from behind the demon. "Why are you protecting him? Grell tried to kill you."

"And then he gave me hair secrets. We're even."

"Hair secrets?" The Earl's sword lowered a fraction.

"See, you just don't understand the importance of hair secrets."

"Well, can you not see why?" Grell propped his head on her shoulder as he whispered to her. "He has perfect hair."

"I know it just makes you sick, doesn't it?" She whispered back.

Sebastian and Ciel just stared at them.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Ciel looked around the room.

"Don't ask us. I have no idea." William sighed.

"Hair secrets." Serena stressed. They all still looked at her and the girl just rolled her eyes. "Oh, you all just don't get it."

"Well, they are men." Grell put his hands on her shoulders and Sebastian snarled again.

"I get it." Undertaker laughed and pulled the room's attention back to him.

"With that mane, I bet you do." Serena put a hand on her hip as she looked at the massive fall of silver hair. "I would hate to have to comb all that out."

"Who do you think told Sutcliff about the oils?" He snickered while pulling a small glass vial from his coat. Serena walked over and took the bottle. She stared at it for a moment before giving it back.

"I've seen you how many times and you never said a word." The girl huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I feel the love, let me tell you."

"Well, I didn't know you. Hair secrets are sacred." He sing-songed and poked her in the side.

"See," she turned back to Sebastian and Ciel. "He gets it."

"Are you out of your mind, woman?" The demon's voice was low, more dangerous than when he was yelling.

"I do hang out with you two."

Ronald laughed behind him but stopped at the demon's glare. A snicker or two still came out when Sebastian turned back to his mate.

"Oh Bassie, I had almost forgotten how powerful your glare could be." Grell ran a hand down the black overcoat Sebastian wore before it was swatted away. "Serena darling, how do you feel about sharing?"

Serena and Undertaker burst out laughing and hung on to each other.

"Aren't you going to defend your mate?" Ronald looked between them all, still not sure what to do.

"Did you see his face? It's even funnier in person!" Serena laughed into the Undertaker's shoulder.

Sebastian grabbed his mate's arm and pulled her to the door. "We're leaving."

The girl felt the anger radiating off him and decided to just go along. Ciel walked behind them, still shaking his head and confused. When they reached the carriage, Sebastian wrenched the door open and all but threw her inside.

"Sebastian, I need to tell you something."

"Silence!" The demon roared and Serena backed into the corner of her seat.

When Ciel was inside, the door slammed behind him.

"What's wrong with him? Nothing happened."

The Earl reached over and smacked her arm with his cane.

"Ow!"

***************A Demon's Mate******************

As soon as they entered the townhouse, Sebastian rounded on Serena.

"I have to go pick up Lady Elizabeth. You will go to your room and stay there until I return."

"But..."

"Go!"

She jerked back as Ciel and Sebastian both yelled at her, pointing at the stairs. Agni appeared from the kitchen as Soma stuck his head out from the salon. Even the Prince seemed to realize this was something to stay out of. Serena let out her own growl as she brushed past Soma and went up the stairs. The door to her room slammed.

"Sebastian." Agni came forward.

"She does not leave this house." Sebastian demanded and waited for the other butler's acknowledgment before going back out the door.

Ciel didn't say anything as he stormed up the stairs. Soma followed behind, wondering what had happened. At the door to his rooms, the Earl turned back around and went into Serena's. Agni came up the stairs as the yelling started.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Ciel, nothing happened."

"Do you have any idea what could have happened? You knew about Grell and still you wandered off."

"But..."

"Quiet! I'm beginning to think that I should have let Ronald stay here."

A crash came from beyond the door and both the Indian men jumped.

"You swore that you would not go far and we find you across town!"

"But..."

"Shut up! You walked right into the same building as the man who tried to kill you! And then you stood there and defended the same man? I swear, I wonder whether you're insane or just stupid."

Soma and Agni leaned closer as it stopped for a moment. The front door opened below them and Elizabeth walked into the townhouse followed by Sebastian. The demon heard his Master raging at his mate and did nothing. After taking the lady's outer clothing, he went through the doors to the kitchen.

Lizzy came up the stairs and saw the two outside of one of the guest rooms.

"What's going on?"

"Shh!"

"Sit down! I'm not done yet! With your actions, I'm beginning to think you're an idiot. You will stay in this room until we leave tomorrow. Once we get to the manor, you won't leave there again!"

"Ciel..."

"I don't want to hear it!" The door was wrenched open and the trio outside fell back.

"Ciel," Lizzy tried to touch his arm but he pulled away.

"Not now." The Earl stormed down the hall to his own rooms and slammed the door.

They looked at each other in shock, never having seen the teenager so angry. Lizzy looked to the closed door in front of them.

"Maybe I should talk to her?"

"Don't you dare!" Everyone jumped as the earl's door reopened and he appeared behind them. "She needs to think and obviously her brain shuts off when other people are around."

*****************A Demon's Mate*****************

Anger continued to pour off Sebastian hours later as he finished up in the kitchen. Agni had taken a tray to Serena as Ciel still wouldn't let her leave her room. Lady Elizabeth had escaped to her rooms after her dinner and Ciel had followed into his own. Soma and Agni walked on eggshells around both of the men, afraid to set them off again. All three wondered exactly what had happened in town, but none of them had the courage to broach the subject.

Finally, after his Master was settled and the house quiet, Sebastian had retreated to the kitchen where there was always something to be done. The door swished open and closed while he worked at the sink. The demon didn't turn, he didn't need to.

"You are not supposed to leave your room."

"You never came to see me." Serena played with the too long sleeves of her nightshirt as she stood in the doorway.

"I'm not ready to see you." Sebastian put the glass that he was cleaning down and picked up another.

"You're not coming to bed then?" She took a step forward, still staying close to the door.

"I had not planned on it. Why?"

It was quiet behind him and the demon finally looked over his shoulder. His mate stared at the floor, her hands stroking her hair that hid most of her face. He could smell the scent of tears that clung to her and stopped himself from crossing the distance between them. He was still far too angry to forgive her yet.

"Serena."

"I can't sleep without you." Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper as she finally admitted why she had sought him out.

Sebastian threw down the towel he was holding. "Fine."

"Never mind!" The red head yelled as she lifted her face to glare at him. "I never realized, with all your talk, that it was such an inconvenience to be with me."

Serena spun on her heel and stormed out of the room. Sebastian picked his towel back up and the next glass. After a moment, he threw the glass in the sink, taking pleasure in the sound of it shattering. Gloved hands gripped the edge of the basin as he hung his head.

"Sebastian."

The demon turned, surprised at not noticing someone walking up on him. "Agni? I thought that you had gone to bed already."

"You cannot leave it like this." Agni walked to the counter next to the other butler and opened the cabinet that the glasses belonged in. "Miss Serena swallowed her pride and sought you out, probably to apologize for whatever has upset you and Lord Phantomhive."

"I'm too angry to talk to her right now." He turned back to the sink and the mess he had made.

"It does not matter." He stared at Sebastian. "I gave you advice once before and I will do it again. There will be no end to a battle between two people who will not speak."

Sebastian hung his head again and let out a long sigh. Agni reached past him and took the towel holding the glass shards from his hands.

"Go. I will finish this."

The demon stepped away from the counter and took off the apron. He slipped back into his tailcoat but stopped at the door. "Thank you, Agni."

The Indian man bowed and went back to picking up the glass shards.

*************************A Demon's Mate***********************

Serena heard the door open and knew that it was Sebastian. She had drawn the lock when she came in and no one else could have opened it. The red head kept her back turned as he came to the bed, hiding her face in her pillow. She heard him moving about the room behind her, but she refused to look at him.

He could hear the soft sniffles from his mate as he came closer. The demon turned to tend the fireplace before slipping out of his coat and shoes. She still didn't turn when he put a knee on the bed and the mattress dipped with his weight.

"Serena."

She jerked away from the hand he laid on her shoulder.

"What?" The girl whispered in the soft darkness.

"Look at me." Sebastian pulled gently but she still refused to budge.

She sniffled. "You didn't want to see me."

"That was earlier."

"Well, now I don't want to see you."

The demon sighed, he could hear the pout in her voice. "I was too angry to come see you. I didn't trust myself."

"You wouldn't even let me explain." Her head lifted out of the pillow enough that she could look at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I know." Sebastian leaned closer, his hand moving down her arm as he laid his forehead on her shoulder. "It...frightened me to see you so close to Grell after what happened before. I am unused to such an emotion and I let it turn to anger. Something I'm more familiar with."

She finally turned to look at him. Sebastian brushed away the tear that was still below her eye.

"You scared me again."

"I know. That's why I didn't come up here. I let my Master say everything that I wanted to because I knew that he would walk away. I was so angry that I did not think that I could do the same."

"I don't like fighting with you," Serena admitted quietly.

"I don't like it either." His hand stayed cupping her cheek, thumb brushing over her skin. "Will you let me lay in your bed, my mate?"

Serena nodded and moved over. When he was beneath the blankets, she came closer and cuddled into his side. His hand stroked her hair as she laid her head on his chest.

"Ciel is still mad at me." She spoke into his shirt, not wanting to look up.

"My Master was frightened as well. He is rather attached to you."

"I expected you would have a problem with that." The red head played with one of his buttons that was close to her hand.

"We have already discussed it."

Serena laughed at the idea.

"I'm sorry, that I took off."

"Why did you go with the reapers, Serena?" Sebastian shifted to see her face but she kept her head against him, her hair hiding her from him.

Something in her gut told her that it wasn't the right time to tell him about her little encounter of the religious kind. She still needed to sort it out for herself and decide how to approach the subject so that he didn't think that she really had lost her marbles. "I needed to talk to Undertaker."

"I would have escorted you to see Undertaker."

"I needed to talk to him without you there."

"Why?" His hand tightened on her hip when he felt her start to pull away.

"Because of things you won't tell me."

"Undertaker cannot tell you anything about me either." Sebastian pulled her hair away from her face.

"No, but he can tell me about demons. Things that you haven't told me and they are things that I'm beginning to think are kind of important."

"I know that you need more of explanation. And I will give it to you."

"But not right now."

"But not right now." He agreed.

Serena yawned and shifted against him. "Why are you so much easier to talk to in the dark?"

"I was wondering the same thing."

Sebastian watched as his mate succumbed to the sweet abyss of sleep. He looked around the guest room that she used after the red head's breathing had evened out. While comfortable and elegant, it was also blank. It was a room intended to be used by anyone and showed it. There were nothing personal or even showing someone's personal taste.

The demon thought of the rooms that he had designated to house his mate at the very top of the tower he had built for his 'family'. They were much the same as this one; beautiful, everything of the highest quality, colors that were pleasing when paired together, but still blank. The rooms were still empty, waiting for someone to fill them.

He had changed them with each contract. Every time he returned home alone, he would spend hours, sometimes days, rearranging the furniture, changing the style and colors to reflect what was currently favored. The bookshelves were filled with tomes from the different places and times the demon had walked the world of man. The paintings that lined the walls never masters, but pieces that had caught his attention. Everything was created by his own powers, of course. He couldn't carry anything through the gate when he returned.

 _'Nothing but a mate.'_ Sebastian stroked her hair as he watched her sleep. _'The rooms will have to change again to suit Serena's taste.'_

Plans formed and ideas ran rampant as the hours of night passed and gave way to the light of day.


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note: Will be at the bottom because it's kinda long.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty Four

Serena was asleep. She knew that she was asleep, but she still felt the body that she was using as her pillow shift, felt the bed move as someone got out. Her hand shot out to grab them but connected with empty air. The girl pulled the rest of the way out of sleep when she heard the soft click of the door closing.

"Sebastian?"

She pushed the mass of her red hair behind her to look around the room, but there was no one with her. Sliding off the bed, she went to the curtains but it was still dark out. The clock on the mantle read 3:00.

"There is no way that he is waking everyone at three in the morning."

Padding down the stairs, she kept an ear out for any sign of the black-clad butler, but there was nothing. Serena shook her head as she headed for the kitchen via the dining room.

"I swear, if you are back in this kitchen..." The red head stopped just inside the door at the sight of her demon and another man standing next to the servants' door. "Oh, hello."

Sebastian moved quickly to block her view of the other man. "Serena, you should be in bed."

"Who's this?" She looked around him to see the brunette that was waiting patiently. He was pale, not very surprising in the middle of winter in England, tall and dressed well. There was no expression on his perfect face as he watched the two of them. It was his dark eyes, the color of dark chocolate, that hinted at something wicked.

"No one." Sebastian started to push her out the door but Serena spun away.

"I'm beginning to think that it's someone."

"I will go now, if you wish, Elder."

"Elder?" She raised an eyebrow before turning back. "So, you're a demon?"

The butler moved faster than she could see, it was only when the sound of a smack filled the room that Serena realized Sebastian had hit the other man in the back of the head.

"Sebastian!" The red head stomped over and another smack was heard.

The demon stared at her for a moment, not believing that she just hit him like he would an underling. "Woman! Go to bed!"

The other demon let out a soft laugh that turned into a cough when Sebastian growled at him.

"Forgive me, Elder."

"Why are making this so difficult?" She waved to both of them. "Just introduce us."

The Elder sighed. "Serena, this is Malikai, who is leaving."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I'm sorry that I have disturbed your night." Malikai bowed.

"Not at all." Serena shrugged it off and turned back to Sebastian. "Was that so difficult?"

"Will you go back to bed?"

"What's the magic word?"

"Now." He glared down at his smiling mate.

"No, try again." She teased.

Sebastian growled low. "Will you please go back to bed?"

"Well, since you asked nicely." Serena laughed and started for the door.

The Elder turned back to the other demon but didn't say anything when he felt his mate stop at the door.

"It was nice meeting you, Malikai."

The brunette bowed again as she breezed out of the room. "She's very interesting, Elder. I look forward to your mate's presence in our home."

"Go feed, Malikai. You are returning home directly after?"

"Yes, Elder." He went down on a knee. "I should not be very long."

*********************A Demon's Mate*********************

Serena opened the door to Ciel's sitting room slowly the next morning. The red head had chickened out earlier and had asked Sebastian to bring breakfast to her room before he had to leave. There were still a few errands that the Earl had for his butler and that would give her time to talk to him. She didn't relish the idea of being stuck inside a carriage with Ciel glaring at her over his ever-present papers. When she looked inside, the Earl was seated on one of the couches with a cup of tea and the morning post.

"What is it?" He didn't bother to look up from the letter in his hand.

"I was hoping that you would be more willing to talk with me this morning." Serena walked in and shut the door behind her. If she was going to be treated to another blasting there was no reason to disturb the rest of the house.

Ciel set the papers down, his face carefully blank. "Have you had time to think about yesterday?"

"I have. Are you still angry at me?"

"I just don't understand why you have to be so difficult." He threw the letter onto the other side of the couch.

"Sebastian said that you were worried about me."

"Of course I was. You go running off and..." Ciel stood and went to the window, keeping his back to the red head. "There are not many people that I care for. They keep dying off, one after the other. And you just keep getting into trouble."

"Ciel, you can't protect everyone. Do you plan to put the people you care for in a glass box and watch over them twenty four hours a day?"

"You keep finding trouble of the deadly sort. A glass box, huh?" He snorted. "It's not a bad idea actually."

"That would never work." The red head came to stand beside him, but Ciel wouldn't look at her.

"I'm still thinking seriously about keeping you in the country."

"You can't do that." She shook her head at him.

"Watch me."

"You still owe me a tour."

Serena laughed at the expression on his face.

"Is there any chance that you might forget about that?"

"A deal's a deal," she teased and was faced with a glare.

"Funny."

"So, you're not mad at me anymore?" Serena smiled at him.

"I wouldn't go that far."

The red head laughed and held out her arms. The Earl glared at her, trying to intimidate the girl into backing down. When she just kept smiling, he heaved a heavy sigh.

"Fine."

Serena giggled a little and wrapped her arms gently around the Earl. She was a little surprised when the hug was returned and he didn't try pull away. He was taller than she had realized, the strong heartbeat under her ear made her remember yesterday.

"Ciel?"

"What?"

"If you...if there was a way to break your contract, would you?"

He pulled away to see her face.

"What are you talking about?"

"If Sebastian would let you go. If you could just walk away, have the rest of your life, would you?"

"Well, after five years of him following my orders, that doesn't seem very sporting of me." He walked away from her, picking up the papers that he had thrown.

"Ciel, I'm serious."

"What do you want, Serena?"

"I don't want you to die!" The red head walked to the couch and sat down. She couldn't look up as she heard him take the chair next to her.

"Everybody dies." Ciel forced her to look up at him.

"That's right, but they also have a chance at something else. Another life, heaven or hell, something."

"And what would I do, without the contract?"

"What you do now. But you would have time." Serena took his hand trying to get him to understand, already knowing what his answer would be.

"Time? Time to wait for the next attack, the next person who decides to try to destroy the Phantomhives, or the same one to come again. Time to try and forget what happened?"

"You could hire more people around the manor with the background you need."

"Yes, because that did my predecessor so much good." He took his hand back.

"Ciel..."

"No. I didn't get out of that cage to hide in my manor and wait for the people who tried to eradicate my family before to finish the job. I didn't come back to build an empire and live like nothing happened. It's just another way to instigate them into making a move." Ciel stood to stare down at her. "I told you before, I have no regrets about my contract with Sebastian. I won't let it go and I won't die until someone pays for what happened to myself and the Phantomhives."

Serena jumped from her seat to wrap herself around him again. He heard a soft sob from the red head and let her hold onto him, for now.

 _'I knew he wouldn't let it go. I knew that Ciel wouldn't break his contract even if given a hundred opportunities. So, why does it hurt so much?'_

"Serena." Ciel pulled away and wiped he tears from her eyes. "Don't make it harder on yourself. I do not regret my choice and you shouldn't for me. I'm in too deep, and nothing is going to change that."

"I don't understand how you can be so calm about this? It's your soul. That's it, there's nothing after that."

"Exactly."

"What?" She stared at him, horror written in her eyes.

"Do you really think that I would want to do this again? Do you really think that I want to live another life like this? What about after? I'm not stupid, Serena. Knowing that souls are real, that demons are real, I know where I would end up."

"But what if you didn't? What if you could have another lifetime?"

"And what's to stop this from repeating? There are millions of stories that are the same as mine, the world over."

"I want to keep you," she said quietly.

He stared down at her, her beautiful eyes filled with tears. Tears for him. His thumb brushed over her skin and Serena realized that he wasn't wearing gloves. She saw his intent, read it in the slow and uncertain movements, and did nothing to stop him. As Ciel's lips touched hers, the red head held onto his jacket tighter.

 _'His kiss so different than Sebastian's, so soft. Like a butterfly on my skin that will dart away at the smallest movement.'_

Ciel pulled away slowly, still brushing her cheek. Serena looked down, not wanting him to see how confused she was. A knock on the door stopped what he was going to say. The two broke apart as Lizzy stuck her head in and smiled at him. The red head kept her head down as she turned to the window and wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly freezing. She didn't want to look at the younger girl she had tried to give so much advice after kissing her fiancé.

"Ciel, we need to have the costumes picked up before we go back to the manor."

"Sebastian is doing that before he returns." The Earl assured her.

 _'Sebastian. Can I really be with him after Ciel's death? Can I look at him and not see Ciel's murderer?'_

**********************A Demon's Mate***********************

Serena spent the rest of the day lost in her own thoughts. She had been coming down the stairs when Sebastian returned from his errands. The red head had stopped dead, expecting him to know what had happened in Ciel's room. He said nothing, only that she apparently had been spending time with his Master again. She had answered that they had been talking in his sitting room this morning. The demon seemed to take it at face value and went to answer the summons of his Master.

Now, they sat in the carriage going back to the manor. Soma and Agni had joined them, as the Prince was attending the Midfords' masquerade as well. He and Elizabeth chatted easily about the party and costumes while she and Ciel sat quietly. The Earl was looking through some of the things that had arrived just before they left. He would look up at Serena from time to time, gauging her mood. She just shook her head and stared out the window again. Sebastian's voice had appeared in her mind several times, but she just asked him to leave her be.

There was no relief at the sight of the large gates that led to the Phantomhive family home. As they descended the carriage, Soma and Elizabeth continued to talk, oblivious to the silence that engulfed their companions. Snake was there to open the doors and Ciel didn't notice the strained look on the footman's face or the fact that his hair was slicked back.

"There you are. Welcome home, Lord Phantomhive."

Everyone looked up to see Lady Francis waiting in the middle of the hall.

"Mother!" Lizzy ran to the older woman and pulled her into a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I was sure that Lord Phantomhive had not prepared for the ball tomorrow and I brought a few old costumes for him to choose from." She looked down on her nephew.

"Actually, I already have a costume. Thank you for the thought, though." Ciel smiled at his aunt. "You really didn't have to make the trip."

"I wanted to see Lizzy as well. Do I need permission to visit my own daughter?"

"Not at all. Seeing as you're the one who sent her here." He waved her on.

"Perhaps we should discuss this in private. Or do you need to stay by Miss Serena again?"

"Of course not. My office will please you, Aunt?"

"After you."

Ciel led the way up the stairs as the others looked on.

"I'm going up to my room." Serena said as she walked to the stairs. "I'll see you all at dinner."

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Serena was staring out the window again, lost in her thoughts when her door opened. She expected Sebastian and was surprised at the blonde head that came into the room. Lizzy smiled and came the rest of the way in, closing the door behind her.

"I thought you might have been sleeping." The younger girl whispered and came to the window. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

 _'Oh hell, she knows.'_

"I saw you and Sebastian the other night. I have to admit, I was spying on you. I thought that you were going to meet Ciel and I followed." She shook her head. "I was certain that there was something going on between you two."

 _'You have no idea. I don't even know what's going on between us. There is going to be one pissed off demon though, I do know that.'_

"I really don't know who else to ask. My friends would just laugh at me and I really don't want to ask my mother." The younger girl took the chair right next to Serena.

"Whoa, where are you going with this?"

Lizzy started to fidget and left the red head's side to pace the room.

"Have you and Sebastian kissed?"

"Yes?"

"What...how..." She stopped. "What's it like? To be kissed."

Serena blinked at her. "Kissing?"

"Ciel's never kissed me and I wouldn't let anyone else get close. I just...want to know." She came back to the chair and sat down, never taking her eyes off the red head.

"It's...great." She admitted with a smile. "But that's Sebastian. He's perfect about everything."

"Have you kissed another man?"

"Yes," Serena answered carefully.

"Were they great?"

"No." She shook her head. "They were good. Good technique, but there really wasn't anything behind it."

The blonde sighed and went back to pacing. "I don't know why Ciel won't kiss me. I've given him plenty of opportunities."

"Ciel is very reserved."

Lizzy spun back to glare at the other girl. "And Sebastian isn't?"

"Good point." Serena looked back out the window. Sebastian was walking in the garden below, carrying a bowl with something inside. She smiled, watching him turn up to smirk at her. "But, Sebastian is a man and, as much responsibility as Ciel has, he's still a teenager. Also, Ciel is a lot more shy."

"I just don't know what to do."

 _'Why me?'_

 _'Is there something wrong, my mate?'_

 _'Lizzy wants to know why Ciel has never kissed her.'_

There was silence through her mind. _'I believe that I will leave that to you.'_

 _'Coward.'_

"Remember I told you that Ciel isn't like normal men. You...you..." Serena looked around the room, hoping an answer would pop out of the woodwork. "Just wait him out. Ciel will kiss you when he's ready."

"But..."

"No. That's something that you can't push."

 _'And please, don't let her find out that he kissed me first.'_

Lizzy stared at Serena before nodding. She knew that the older girl was right. Nothing good ever happened when she tried to force Ciel to do something. A strange look crossed the blonde's face and Serena instincts screamed to run.

Lizzy's voice dropped to a whisper again. "Have you ever done more?"

She felt a twitch over her eye. "With Sebastian? No."

The younger girl gave her a shrewd look. "Have you ever done more with anyone else?"

"I was right. You're a lot smarter than Ciel gives you credit for."

"And you didn't answer."

"I really don't think this is a good topic." Serena rubbed her forehead, trying to stave off the impending headache.

"Who am I supposed to ask? My mother?"

"Alright." She sighed. "Yes, I've had sex."

"What was it like?" Lizzy leaned forward, her eyes wide.

"Do you want me to lie to you or do you want me to be honest?"

"Honest."

"It sucked."

"So it is bad?" Lizzy sighed and moved away. "What the women were saying was true."

"I think it was more who I was with. I'm pretty sure that Sebastian would make it good."

 _'Of course I would.'_

 _Serena spun around and yanked the curtains shut._ _'Will you butt out!'_

**********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Since it had been too late by the time that they arrived, Lady Midford announced that she would be spending the night and go back home in the morning to finish preparing for the ball. At least the talk between her and Ciel had apparently gone well. Both had been much more civil when they emerged from the Earl's office. Francis had even made the effort to draw Serena into conversation during dinner. After the meal, she had taken Lizzy upstairs to discuss what had happened during her stay at the Phantomhive estate and Serena was once again on her own.

As she explored the library, a strange book had caught her attention.

Dictionnaire Infernal*

Serena pulled the book down and looked around the room to make sure that she was alone. She tucked it close to her side so that anyone passing would not be able to read the cover and set off for her own room. The hallway was blissfully empty. The red head could feel her heart pounding in her chest, fearful of being discovered.

"Serena?"

She squeaked and spun around to face Sebastian, dropping the book in the process. The demon was smirking at her reaction as she tried to calm down. The girl tried to stop him when he reached to pick up the book that she had dropped. Serena watched him carefully as he read the title and laughed.

"Why can you not wait?"

"Because I need to know."

"This will do you no good." He held up her secret.

"Are you going to tell me that this is another book that's going to lie to me?"

"That too." Sebastian opened the book to a random page and showed it to her. "It's also in French."

Serena crossed her arms. "Maybe I speak French."

"Vous faire maintenent?"*

She looked away from his smirk. "Yeah, I got nothing out of that."

"So I thought. I will return this to the library for you." He tucked the book under his arm. "Mei-Rin will be along shortly to help you prepare for bed."

Serena glared at his back as Sebastian walked down the hallway.

"Snarky butler."

"Yes, I've thought the same many times."

Serena jumped and squeaked again. She fell against the wall, holding her chest over her pounding heart. Francis watched her, obviously amused.

"For God's sake, is it National Sneak Up on the Red Head Day?"

"Not at all. It's your own fault for not paying attention." The marchioness nodded to the younger girl and walked off. "Good night, Miss Serena."

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

 _'Well, it looks like I will just have to try this again.'_

Serena looked both ways down the hall before speeding off for the stairs. Leaving her door cracked open after Mei-Rin had left, she had heard Sebastian and Ciel a few minutes earlier going into the Earl's rooms. Knowing that this wasn't an operation to be undertaken in her nightshirt, the red head had changed into one of the round gowns that didn't require extra help as soon as the maid left. She tried to keep her mind as blank as possible as she navigated the manor's halls. Ciel would keep the demon occupied for a while and that left her the only chance.

The kitchen was dark, lit by only one candle when she slipped inside. The rest of the servants had already retired to their part of the house for the night. A large box, mounted on the wall, held what she was looking for. A shaft of moonlight came through the window over the sink and illuminated the contents for her.

Keys for every room in the manor hung on hooks inside the box. It was the same box that she had found the key for the wine cellar in and there should be a key for the butler's room as well.

 _'But, which one is it?'_

Serena stared at the keys of all different shapes and each molded into different symbol at the top. The wine cellar had been easy, grapes molded into the iron, but what would you put on the key for the butler's room? There was an empty hook at the top, next to it was a key with a small crown.

 _'Must be the key to Ciel's room that's missing. Makes sense. You wouldn't keep a key to the Master's room in the kitchen where anyone could get to it. There are no others missing, so it has to be in here.'_

She looked over the keys again.

 _'Wait, his doorknob had the Phantomhive coat of arms on it.'_

Her hand went to a key that held the same top as the pin that the butler always wore. A shield piece of the family coat of arms that designated him the butler. With the key clutched in her hand, Serena ducked back out of the kitchen and down the hall. The door at the very end called to her. She knew that being caught was a very real possibility. The red head didn't lie to herself, there was no way that Sebastian wouldn't know that she had been in his room.

 _'Even so, I have to look. There has to be something in there. You don't keep a door locked unless to keep people out. So, he must have something in there that he doesn't want the others to find. Hopefully, something that identifies him as a demon.'_

She looked around the hall carefully before sliding the key into the lock. It turned without a sound and Serena took a last breath before opening the door.

There was nothing remarkable about the room at first glance. It was completely stripped down. An iron bed stood against the far wall, in the center. A desk was anchored against the right and a wardrobe stood on the left. She slipped inside and shut the door, re-locking it behind her. There was a door next to the desk that led into a small bathroom. The one concession that seemed to be made to distinguish the room from the other servants'.

Serena looked through the desk first. There were a couple of books in foreign languages she didn't understand on the top. One drawer held paper and pens. The next held what looked like a journal. She felt a small stab of guilt as she picked up the book and placed it on the desktop. Taking a deep breath, she opened the cover.

It was empty. There was nothing written on the perfectly white pages. Flipping through the book, she found more of the same. There wasn't a single line written in it. The red head slammed the book closed and put it away.

The bathroom was just as empty as the bedroom. Towels hung on the rack next to the tub and everything was in place as though it had been staged that way.

 _'Okay, Sebastian has seriously moved from neat freak into perfectionist.'_

She picked up the bar of soap sitting in the dish.

 _'Unscented? That's weird. Then why does he always smell so good?'_

Shrugging, Serena went back into the bedroom and headed for the wardrobe. The bottom drawer held, what she assumed to be, men's underwear in this time. There were black, of course. Even though the drawer was shallow, she still dug to the bottom. The next drawer was socks, all black and neatly folded. The last drawer held a collection of black ties.

 _'Wow, he really needs to expand his color palette.'_

The red head remembered the manga as she put a hand on the knob of the wardrobe. In the mansion murder case, Ciel had opened Sebastian's wardrobe and been attacked by a dozen cats. She stood to the side and yanked the door open. When nothing came flying out, she peeked around the door.

Three pairs of black slacks hung neatly and perfectly folded next to three black waistcoats. The three waistcoats hung perfectly next to three starched, white shirts. Each piece of clothing was hung at precisely the same distance from each other.

 _'Now we have coasted past perfectionist and moved nicely into anal retentive. He has got to be out of his mind with this whole mating thing. If he saw my room at home, Sebastian would probably twitch so much, he'd break his own neck.'_

Serena moved the clothes out of the way and knocked lightly on the sides of the wardrobe, listening for any change in the sound.

"Are you looking for something in particular, my mate?"

 _'Busted!'_

* Dictionnaire Infernal by Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy. Published in 1818, it spread across Europe through the 1800s in French. Speaking of French. I know that the translation is not correct. A reviewer last time pointed out it was wrong and the correct syntax however, I lost it when I took this down last time. I don't remember much from high school french class, it was a long time ago. It's supposed to say, 'do you now'?

Author's Note: I have to apologize because I'm a little stressed out right now. I'm shooting for a Halloween release date for the second book in the Fallen University series and I still have a couple chapters to finish at present. I plan on putting Winter's Eve on special pricing about a week in advance of Frozen Dance's release. I'm also building a website where you all can get some background info on both of my series along the lines of character bios, a little blog from a character's perspective, I will also have a news spot, and then fanfiction will only be on here and then I can stop crossing the two of them. I also have to get the twitter running. It is JessicaSaire. There's really nothing on there because I don't quite understand Twitter. I don't think my life is that interesting, especially for someone that parks their butt in front of a computer screen so many hours a day to live in the world in my head. I will make an effort to try though.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty Five

 _'Busted!'_

"Forgive me, but I do not believe that my clothing will fit you, my mate."

Serena peeked around the door of the wardrobe to see Sebastian standing in front of the door she had locked. She smiled sheepishly and stepped away from the piece of furniture, softly closing the doors as she did. The demon raised one eyebrow, obviously waiting for an explanation.

"Why are you in my bedroom?" He didn't move from his place in front of the door, effectively blocking her in.

"Well," she couldn't help but fidget under his unblinking gaze. "You wouldn't tell me anything, so I figured that I would look for myself."

"I see. And did the locked door not give you any indication that I did not want anyone in my rooms?"

"Then you shouldn't leave the key lying around." Serena raised her chin, looking him in the eye.

"Is that so?" Sebastian moved to stand in front of her and held out his hand. After a moment, she set the small key in his gloved palm. "Serena, there is nothing here that will tell you anything personal about me."

"Nothing here?"

"There is nothing on this plane that will tell anyone anything personal about myself or give me away as a demon." He slipped the key into the pocket of his waistcoat. "It is one of the first lessons that all demons learn."

"Fine." Serena walked around the demon and went to the door. When she turned the handle nothing happened. She jerked it harder, but still got nothing. The red head tried the lock, but it wouldn't budge. Panic started to build when she felt Sebastian behind her. He was standing close enough for her to feel the heat from his body when he bent down to put his head next to hers.

"You are so quick to leave? When you went to all the trouble to get in here?"

She swallowed hard and tried to sound flippant. "Well, you said that there is nothing in here."

"I don't think that I should send my mate away, when she comes so willingly to my rooms." His voice dropped to whisper in her ear as he put his hands on her hips.

"Come into my web, said the spider to the fly."

He laughed deeply against her throat and his hands moved to her arms, sliding to cover her hands. He pulled her fingers from the doorknob and turned her body slowly to face him. The girl gasped when she looked into his swirling, red, slitted eyes.

"I am no spider, Serena." He said, showing a hint of fangs behind his lips.

"Then what are you?"

"I have many forms, but a demon is behind every one. I will promise you that there are no insects in my repertoire." His head lowered, eyes intent on her lips.

"Wait." She put a hand up to stop him.

"There is something that has been bothering you all day. Your heart rate spikes every time my Master is mentioned. I will assume that it has something to do with him." Sebastian pulled back enough to look her in the eye. His thumb continued to brush light circles at the base of her throat, creating a hypnotic effect.

Serena looked away and back to the demon. She started to speak several times, but stopped before actually saying anything. He watched her struggle and felt her level of emotions rise.

"What is it, my mate?" He asked softly. "You can tell me."

"I..." She looked back up into his eyes. "Let Ciel kiss me."

The demon snarled, pulling away from her. In an instant he was back, hand jerking at the doorknob. She refused to move. The only way he could get through the door was through her. He would have to risk hurting her to do it.

"Move." His voice was dangerous, not leaving any room for argument.

She shook her head. "No."

"Serena!"

"No! If you'll be mad at anyone, it will be me. I had plenty of time to pull away and I didn't. I...wanted him too."

Sebastian pulled away, pacing the room like a caged animal. Every few steps, the demon would turn and growl at her. Serena could see more of his fangs and the hands he clenched at his sides, she could see something poking at the tips of each of the gloved fingers. The red head could hear him muttering lightly in a language she didn't understand as he moved. Anger radiated in every stride and she admitted that she was afraid of him. But, she stayed in front of the door.

"No demon has ever shared their mate with a contract." He came back to her, his hand closing lightly around her throat. "I will not share you with that human boy!"

"I know that!"

"Then why? Give me some reason you let him touch what belongs to me. Do you really prefer that frail human to me?"

"No!" She shook her head. "I don't know."

"You have no future with him, Serena. Even if our contract did not exist, you would still have no future with my Master. The Midfords are not going away. You said it yourself, they are not going to end an advantageous engagement over the whim of a young girl. The same goes for the whims of my Master. They have their own contract and it is almost as binding as mine is with the Earl of Phantomhive. He will marry Lady Elizabeth in the coming years. Even you cannot change that."

"I know!" She shook her head. "I just...I'm so confused. I went from feeling nothing for anyone, to feeling way too much."

The demon's eyes narrowed as he leaned down. "What is it that you feel? Do you love my Master?"

"I...don't know."

Sebastian resumed his pacing. He was no longer snarling at her every few seconds, but Serena still didn't relax.

"This isn't supposed to happen."

"Yeah, well, it's not like I'm happy about it." She wrapped her arms about herself. "You think I like being in this situation?"

The demon looked back to him mate and finally saw the misery of her confusion. He could see the truth in what she told him, as well as the fact that this was no premeditated act. There was no intentional betrayal. Centuries of controlling the wrathful souls inside him, helped Sebastian calm himself and look at their problem instead of just acting on it.

 _'There is something else going on here. No mate of a demon ever feels even the smallest passing whim for another being and yet mine, admits to a feeling of love for my Master. Even Haagenti noticed her attachment.'_

"Sebastian?"

"Yes?"

"Well, say something."

"This isn't normal."

"Nothing that happens around here ever is."

The demon spun to face her. "You're right. My Master is unusual for a demon contract. Even your appearance here is abnormal. Perhaps, that is why our mating is not going like any other?"

Serena could almost see the wheels in his head turning as he approached this new perspective. If it lessened the anger radiating off him, she didn't care.

"Serena." She looked up as Sebastian came back to stand in front of her. The anger was gone from his eyes, but she wasn't sure she liked what had taken its place. "I believe that my mate owes me something for granting a kiss to another."

"And what would that be?"

His hand came back to her throat as the demon leaned over her with an evil smile. "You will stay here with me tonight."

"Well, you sleep with me in my room all the time." She stepped away from the door and walked to the bed. "I don't see why that would be a problem."

"But, your little adventure seems to have cut into your bathing time this evening. I can't let you sleep like that, now can I?"

Serena's eyes bugged out at what he was implying. "Tell me again, that you're not a pervert."

"I never said that I wasn't." He smiled while taking a hold of her arm, leading them into the bathroom. "However, I fail to see anything perverted. It is the duty of a demon to see to their mate's comfort and health."

She tried to dig her feet into the bare wood floor, but it didn't help.

"Sebastian, I really don't want to do this."

"I really don't want you to kiss my Master." He countered easily, closing the bathroom door behind them. "For that offense, you will allow me to care for my mate as I should."

The demon leaned down again. "What bothers you so? You had no problem with using your naked body to tease me in the past."

"Because it was a tease. And you only saw me for a minute."

"I assure you, that minute was more than enough time for me to appreciate the mate I have been given." Sebastian stepped away to fill the tub and Serena bolted for the door. It was locked, just the same as the door in the bedroom. No matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn't budge. "Come now, I'm not going to ravish you on the spot. I have far more control than that."

"You promise?"

"I promise. Besides, I quite like the idea of sealing our bond in our own bed." He slid out of his tailcoat and rolled up his sleeves. After placing the coat on a hanger inside the door, he held out a hand to the red head and waited.

Serena was still plastered to the door, holding onto the handle like a lifeline as she stared at the hand he offered. Biting her lip, the girl let go of the door and took the hand that was held out. She tried to calm herself as he pulled her into the center of the small room. She jumped a little when he started to pull the gown from her shoulders.

"Shh." Sebastian placed a gentle kiss on her temple before sliding the gown the red of the way off. He helped her step out of the pool of fabric and picked it up to lay on the small table nearby. He looked at the shift she wore underneath and smiled. "You really were preparing for bed." A hand landed on her lower back and followed him around to her front. "You're not wearing anything under this."

"No."

The demon's eyes were glowing again as he gently kissed her lips. He smiled as he dropped to his knees and lifted the hem of her thin shift. He started at her ankles, his palms never leaving her skin and letting the fabric to pool around his wrists as he slid up her legs to her hips. He felt her jerk when he passed her waist and gently moved over her ribcage. She kept her arms down, not letting him go any further. Sebastian said nothing, but didn't move away. He would wait out her moment of modesty and she knew it. Finally, she lifted her arms over her head and felt the fabric follow.

Serena refused to look at him until he put a finger under her chin and forced her head up.

"You have no reason to hide, my mate. You are beautiful."

Sebastian laughed as the blush on her face deepened. He lifted his hand, suddenly holding jeweled hair pins. The fingers under her chin dropped and he moved behind her to lift the length of her hair, sliding the pins into her curls to hold them against her scalp. Serena couldn't help but fidget as he worked. Every time she moved to cover herself, a gloved hand would smack her arm back down to her side.

Once all of her hair was pinned up, Sebastian put an arm under her knees and lifted Serena to carry her to the bath. The tub was full, steam pouring over the side. He lowered her slowly so that her toes brushed the surface of the water. When she nodded at the temperature, he let her legs down into the water and stood back to allow her to sink into the tub on her own.

The water was high enough to cover everything but Serena still pulled her legs up and curled around them. She saw Sebastian's smirk but the demon said nothing. He stole a kiss as he reached past her to pick up the large sponge from its dish. Instead of the unscented soap in the dish next to the sponge, he put a hand into the water and pulled up a clam shell. She laughed but rolled her eyes at the demon showing off. Opening the shell, inside was a small, pink bar of soap.

"Do demons like the smell of seafood?" Serena raised an eyebrow.

He laughed and lifted the soap for her to smell. "It's beautiful. It's a flower, but I don't know what kind."

"It is a favorite of mine. There are many that grow around my home." Sebastian started with the sponge on her back. "I will enjoy showing them to you."

"Your home? That would be Hell, right?"

"Of course. Where else would a demon live?" The sponge moved lower and he laughed at her jump.

"Flowers?"

"There are many things about my home that will surprise you. We will discuss that later."

"Right." Serena lowered her head to her knees.

Water was poured over her back and the suds washed away with it. "Lean back, my mate."

With a smile, the red head leaned back but didn't let go of her legs. The demon put his hand on either side of the tub, leaning into her.

"You know, the longer you put this off, the longer we'll be here. I have plenty of time."

Sighing, Serena let go and stretched out in the large tub.

"Was that so hard?"

He shrugged off her glare and lifted one of her arms from the water. As Sebastian focused on the limb in his hands, he noticed how she kept looking away.

"What is it?"

"Will you...take off the gloves? It feels weird." She watched, mesmerized as he pulled the gloves off his hands with his teeth. His fangs showed and she resisted the urge to touch them. When he laid one hand on her wrist, she gasped. His fingers were cooler than she expected but it made her blood race as they traced along her skin. "What is that?"

"I told you, your soul knows that it is supposed to be with me. Your body does as well now."

"It's like little electrical currents."

"You will always feel that when I touch you." He ran the back of his fingers up to her neck and back down. "Does it bother you? I can put my gloves back on."

"No!" She answered quickly and blushed. "No. It's fine."

The demon smirked and started to wash her again. As the sponge moved over her shoulders and upper chest, his other hand followed behind. Serena let her head fall back against the rim of the tub, watching him the whole time. When the sponge skimmed the top of the water, the girl took a deep breath.

"I would like to remind you of your promise before that sponge goes any lower."

He smirked, leaning his hand on the tub next to her head. "Of course."

He was teasing her and she knew it when the sponge slid between her breasts and down her stomach. Black nails scraped her skin in the sponge's wake, keeping up the feeling of little lightning bolts along her skin. He looked up as her breathing changed and found his mate's eyes closed. He watched her as he brought the sponge out of the water, keeping the backs of his fingers in contact with her skin. Her eyes opened again to find him staring at her as the sponge moved over her breasts and back down.

Sebastian found himself fascinated by the red head as he skimmed her belly and ran the sponge down her leg, making sure that his fingertips stayed in constant contact with her skin.

 _'Maybe I won't wait.'_

 _'You're not getting it that easy, Feathers.'_

Serena's languid voice in his head made the demon laugh. Smirking, he brought his hand back up her leg and lightly brushed her center. Her gasp echoed around the tiled room and her nails dug into the arm she had grabbed.

"You were saying?"

"You know, confidence is attractive. Cocky is not." She tried to glare at him, but found she couldn't.

"Cocky?" He raised an eyebrow. "I thought that you didn't want that."

"You know what I mean."

He brushed over her again and her nails dug in deeper. Sebastian leaned his head next to hers, brushing his lips over her cheek. "I would continue, if my mate wishes."

Serena heard a soft purr next to her ear and realized it was coming from him as his hand moved lightly over her skin. Little bursts of energy traced the line of her leg, over her lower belly, and circled her belly button while she tried to think. Finally, she nodded slowly.

Her head fell back as he touched her again. The demon made sure that his hand was between her and the hard rim of the tub as the other teased her flesh. He watched her, his finger tracing her lower lips once more before sliding into her heat. She gasped again, her back bowing in the water. Muscles clenched as she felt the electricity inside her. Another finger joined the first and Sebastian smiled at the little cries that bounced off the walls of the small room.

The demon could see her end coming far too soon but reminded himself that he had eternity to watch her. The hand cradling the back of her head, made her turn to face him.

"Serena, open your eyes. Look at me." His voice was harsh, carrying a husky quality in his order.

Her eyes opened without a thought to see him right next to her. He felt it coming and his lips fell on hers to catch her final cry. Her nails finally let go of his arm and plunged into his hair instead. Her fingers yanked on the silky strands she held and the demon let out a growl of pleasure at the little bit of pain she caused.

When Sebastian pulled away, her fingers left his hair slowly. He smirked at her dilated pupils and the small smile on her parted lips. The weight of his hand settled on her chest to better feel her heart rate starting to calm down. Serena watched him through heavy-lidded eyes, sinking back into the cooling water. She laughed at the pride written all over his face.

"Are you understanding the 'big deal' now, my mate?" The demon purred.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yes. Are you happy now?"

"Not quite, but I will be soon." His fingers brushed her cheek. "We should finish your bath."

"You're the one who got distracted."

"Oh yes, with my shallow seduction tactics."

"Absolutely."

***************A Demon's Mate****************

Sebastian kept his touching to a minimum as he finished washing his mate. The red head was unusually pliant and simply let him do whatever he wanted fir once. She watched the smirk that never left his face while concentrated on his task. When he had deemed her clean enough, the demon helped her from the bath and grabbed a towel from the rack nearby. He smiled up at her as he rubbed the cloth over her legs, soaking up all the water in its path.

Serena shook her head. "Let you touch a little skin and you couldn't be happier."

He stood with a smile and snapped the towel, now holding one of her favored nightshirts.

"Nifty." She reached out for the shirt but Sebastian snatched it back. Moving behind her, he slid one of the sleeves over her arm and maneuvered the other himself into the other sleeve. "You know, I can move my own arms."

"I'm sure you can." He leaned down and placed a kiss below her ear. The demon saw her roll her eyes as he came back to face her and started buttoning the shirt. When he finished, Sebastian picked her up again and carried her into his bedroom.

"I can walk too."

"I like to carry you. And I get to do whatever I like tonight, remember?" He laid her gently in the cool sheets and lifted the blanket over her. "You should sleep."

"I'm not ready to go to sleep." Still, Serena snuggled into the pillow and got comfortable on her side. She watched him move around the room, stoking the small fireplace, putting the items on the desk back where they had been before her snooping spree before taking off his shoes and sliding into the other side of the bed.

"Do you feel the same thing?" She ran her fingertips over his wrist.

"No. To me, your touch is...calming."

"Well, that doesn't sound very exciting." She frowned and pulled her hand back.

"To me, it is. I've spent a very long time perfecting my control, but it still takes concentration. Feeling any amount of calm takes concentration. To have it come so easily, is exciting and I crave it."

"Oh." The red head put her fingers back and noticed for the first time that he did relax a little. She smiled, running her hand over the soft skin still exposed from his rolled up sleeves. "So, what do you do every day?"

"You have seen what I do every day."

"Not here. What do you do every day when you're...you know?" She put two fingers into her hair, making little horns.

The demon laughed. "You never give up, do you?"

"Alright, fine. Then tell me something insignificant." Serena looked down at the hand she was touching. "Like, why are your fingernails black?"

"My fingernails?"

"Yeah. Am I going to find a bottle nail polish hidden around here?"

"No. They are naturally black."

"Naturally?"

"I know that Undertaker told you a little of demons." He waited for her nod. "When we started feeding on humans, other than what we had been given, all demons nails turned black. It was a sign of our corruption, so that the humans could identify us. Give them a sporting chance, I suppose. It's the one identifying feature that I cannot cover in my human form."

"So, gloves being in fashion are a good thing for you?"

"Quite."

"What else do you change, when you say human form? You don't, like, actually look like a goatman or something? Because, that might be a deal breaker."

"No." He laughed. "It always amazes me what you humans come up with. It really is just small changes. My hair is longer, my skin is more pale. You have seen the eyes and the fangs. My nails are longer, more claw-like. Our changes are more inside, when someone becomes a demon."

"Well, that's a little bit of a let down."

"I do have wings."

"Wings? Okay, that's cool." She gasped. "Right, the feathers."

Sebastian nodded. "When a demon becomes an Elder, they grow wings."

"Like a status symbol?"

"I suppose you classify that way."

"I wanna see." Serena sat up, poking him in the side.

"Not right now. It takes a fair amount of power to change forms completely. My eyes change and teeth lengthen easily enough, but to shed the human guise entirely and then don it again, is exhausting."

She knew she was pouting. "Alright. We'll put that on a back burner for now. But, since I have you in such a forthcoming mood. Let me think of something else." She laid back down, looking at the ceiling as she thought. "Let's see, something that wouldn't affect your contract."

Her fingers snapped and she turned to face him again. "How does one become a demon?"

"Serena."

"Okay, okay. Obviously, you think that one may have some impact on your contract. Let me think." She backed off easily, knowing that if he really didn't want to tell her, she couldn't make him. Serena was also enjoying the talk in the darkened room and didn't want to upset him too much. "You said that demons don't have children."

"That is correct. We are made demons, not born."

"Then how did you become a demon?"

"Serena." The demon growled low in his chest.

"Oh, come on. How is that going to muck up your contract?" She watched him thinking it over. "You were human before, weren't you? That's why you don't want to tell me."

Author's Note: OMG! Have you seen the Kotobukiya Art FX statues on Amazon? They are awesome. Especially Undertaker's. I'm so in love!


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty Six

"Yes, I was born a human. The same as you." He answered carefully.

Serena sat up. "So then, how did this happen?"

"It was a punishment."

"No, really?"

Sebastian growled at the sarcasm in her voice and rolled to look at the ceiling. The red head poked him the side.

"Tell me."

"It's a long story."

"I'm not going anywhere. Remember?"

The demon rubbed his forehead, looked around the room, tried to think of anything else, but finally looked back to his mate with a sigh.

"It was a very long time ago. The world worshiped many gods then. Almost every city had it's own deity. My original city was no different." He snorted. "I know now he was no god. Merely a Fallen, who gained a following."

"My grandmother used to say that believing in something or someone, gives them power." The red head moved to sit cross-legged, getting comfortable to hear his story.

"Exactly. We worshiped and so he was a god. Our people were ruled by his priestess. She was a conduit to him." Sebastian seemed to pull back, returning to his tale. "It was noticed when I was very young, that I had a talent for fighting. I killed one of the temple guards that had been abusing his position and was taken before the priestess expecting to be executed."

"But you weren't?"

"No, I wasn't. Instead I was ordered to train with the other guards." He laughed. "I thought that it was the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me. My family was of the lowest. My father died when I was very young and I have no idea what my mother did to support us. Well, of course I have an idea."

"Us?"

"I had a younger sister. I don't even remember her name." For some reason, that the demon was not willing to dwell upon, the fact bothered him. Serena put her hand on his arm and the peace she brought flowed over him.

"Go on."

"During training, I caught on quickly and showed the same aptitude again and again. I even defeated the captain of the guard." Serena noticed that he was looking at nothing, almost as though he wasn't there with her anymore. "The morning after I had fought the captain, right at dawn, I was taken before the priestess again. She announced that I was to be one of her personal guards."

"I take it that was a big deal?"

"She only had two before me."

"Yeah, that's pretty big." She leaned over him to look in his eyes. "Tell me about her."

"Armana. Her name I remember. Actually, Agni reminds me of her. Our people believed that those with white hair were touched by the gods themselves. But, it's really the absolute peace that surrounds him and the trust he places in people, regardless of knowing them."

"He always sees the good in people."

"That was Armana." The demon stopped, lost in his memories.

"You loved her." Serena's voice was as soft as the hand running over his skin.

"Everyone loved her. Even the most unrepentant criminal listened when she spoke and bowed when she passed."

"How long were you with her?"

"Ten years. I was only a teenager, not much older than my master, but a man at that age. For the most part, her guards were unnecessary. Our people would never dream of harming the priestess who was the conduit to the god."

"So, what changed?"

"War. The same in always true of humans." Serena stayed quiet and he continued. "There was an army that was steadily making it's way across the land and every city in their path fell. Soon, they were on our borders. The warriors were ready, prepared to fight, prepared to die. Armana told us to stand down. We were going to surrender. Or, actually, she was going to surrender. The city was ordered evacuated. She would face him alone."

"That's insane."

"That was Armana. She would not cower behind the protection of the temple and our people while they were slaughtered. I insisted on staying with her. We watched the army's approach and I tried to change her mind. I knew what they would do to her and she knew it too. She was...terrified, but she wouldn't back down."

"They were almost at our gate. I remember, the buildings shook with the sheer amount of horses and men marching toward us, when another army appeared from the west. We watched, not sure if they were going to fight or join the others. When the battle began, I tried again to get Armana to leave. If this new army was defeated, we were still defenseless. More than anything, I didn't want someone so innocent to see the brutality of war. But, she refused."

 _'Look at them. If they can fight, I can watch.'_

"They fought for two days, when the western army finally killed the other's leader. She was so happy and I saw that peace return to her. I tried to tell her that just because they had fought the invaders, didn't mean that they were friends to us. She was suspicious enough not to call our people back, however, she still welcomed them with open arms."

"Don't tell me they..."

"No. They were friendly to us. The army was composed of the many people that had been left over when the invaders destroyed their homes. Armana insisted that they stay, their wounded seen too and they be given a place to rest. Their leader, Dancti, was a king, as well as a soldier. As such, he was housed within the temple itself. Our people had not gone far, not happy about leaving their beloved priestess to face the enemy alone. News spread and they returned, just as welcoming as Armana."

"The god decided that Caro would be given the greatest reward for defeating the invaders and saving his temple."

Serena shifted a little, getting more comfortable. "Armana."

Sebastian nodded. "They were married before the end of the week. Caro, had his own country to rule and Armana was expected to go with him. She was allowed to take one of her guards with her." He stopped to point to himself. "As well as several of the temple maidens. Armana was quite upset to leave the temple and when we reached his capital, Caro ordered a new temple built for her. It was his wedding gift to her and his thanks to the god. Everything was perfect for a while. As the priestess and ruler of our city, Armana was well suited to being queen. I saw the same happiness that she brought to our people come over his as well. The first two years were perfect."

"Perfect never lasts forever."

"As we moved into the third year, Armana still had shown no sign of carrying a child. In the beginning, Caro didn't much care. He was happy with his queen and saw no need for an heir. Caro didn't believe that an accident of birth should automatically give someone the right to rule. He, himself, had been chosen as king because of his skill as a warrior, not his bloodline. But, years of the nobles ranting had made him...frustrated. It was small things at first. An argument, a poorly chosen word. It moved quickly into intentional jabs at Armana, then physical abuse. I was allowed to do nothing. Caro was king and I was just a guard. Even so, I tried to get her to leave. We could go back or anywhere that she wished. I would follow to the ends of the earth."

Sebastian shook his head. "But she wouldn't go. My queen said only that this was a small trial and that things would return to normal eventually. Then, she was moved into the queen's suite and barred from the king's room. Armana never slept in the queen's room."

"He was sleeping with other people."

"Yes. I was the only one who saw how it upset her. I, alone, watched as she sunk into a depression but showed everyone else the same happy and peaceful face. The years wore on again and again, she wouldn't hear of leaving. One of Caro's lovers, a noblewoman who had her eye on becoming queen and didn't much care that the crown was already on other's head, suddenly became pregnant. There were others who had birthed a child by the king, but never a noble. The rest of the nobles were split as to how to deal with this. Some wanted Armana to stay queen, their people loved her and a great prosperity had come to them all when she became queen. They took it as a sign that she should continue as such. Those nobles suggested that the child be taken from Takani as soon as it was born and raised by Armana and Caro as their own. Others said that Armana had failed in the most critical aspect of being queen, providing an heir, and that she was unfit to be queen at all. They insisted that she be set aside and Caro marry Takani. They were so wrapped up in their petty squabbling that they failed to notice unrest raising in the north.

"War came again, as it always did. The matter of Armana and Takani was set aside for the time being. Caro ordered that I lead part of the army."

"But you were there as Armana's guard, not his soldier." Serena protested.

"Yes. However, I was the best behind Caro himself and he couldn't go. It was just an uprising, not the same panic that the invaders had caused. He insisted that Armana would remain inside the castle and would have her own guards while I was gone. Armana, herself, finally told me to go. That the safety of all of our people mattered more than my worry for one. She gave me her word that she would not leave the safety of the castle."

Serena felt dread pool in her stomach. "But she did."

"I was only hours away. We had quashed the rebellion in the north quickly enough and were only hours away from the castle. In the cities we rode through, gossip gave me the story of what I had missed." He continued to stare at the ceiling, not really seeing anything. "While I was away, Takani had given birth to a son and decided to make her move. In front of the court, she pushed Caro into accepting the child as his heir and agreeing that Takani would raise the new prince in the castle. Armana had stood there, knowing there was nothing that she could do. Caro was unhappy with being forced, but he did it anyway, in front of so many of the nobles his choices were limited. Which was exactly what Takani planned. After Armana left the throne room, she slipped past her guards and out of the castle. I do not know what she had intended. I don't know if she was planning on leaving or if she just wanted to get away from the eyes of the court for a time. They found her body, with a knife through her heart, shortly before we reached the capital." The demon stopped, his voice turning harsh.

"I didn't believe it. She had promised me that she wouldn't leave the castle. I insisted that I see for myself. Armana was laid out in the main room of the temple that Caro had had built for her. The room had been charged to welcome the god, just as the main room in our temple at home. While I stared in disbelief, the doors closed and locked behind me."

"I saw him move around the outside of the room. He kept telling me that I had failed. That it wasn't my duty to listen to Caro. I told him that it was Armana who had told me to go, but he wouldn't hear it. He said that I had higher orders when I took my vow to protect his priestess. He said that if I wanted to follow the orders of man so badly, that I could follow them for eternity."

"I blacked out and when I awoke...I was in Hell. And I was this." He opened his hands to encompass himself.

"There's more." Serena said softly, rubbing her hand up and down his arm.

"You already know that Haagenti was my Elder. When I was finally trained enough to come back to the world of man on my own, I went straight for Caro's kingdom. I knew exactly who killed Armana and thoughts of making them suffer were all that had driven me through training. That stopped me from sinking into the despair of what I had become."

"Takani."

"It wasn't enough to dispose of Armana as queen. Takani needed to eradicate her. To make sure that Armana would never be able to regain her position. She was true meaning of envy. She wanted everything that Armana had, and wanted to destroy her, utterly, to get it. But, time passes differently in Hell. By the time that I could walk the earth again, without Haagenti or one of his underlings following me, they were all dead. Takani still became queen, her son ruled and, after Caro's death, they had destroyed everything that mentioned Armana, even her grave. As far as everyone was concerned, my queen had never existed."

Sebastian stood to pace, unsettled be reliving his past. Serena could do nothing but watch. When he turned back to her, she gasped at the hardened look on his face.

"I understand what drives my master, better than you ever could. Yes, I will eat his soul. But first, I will give him the revenge that he seeks. The same revenge that I was denied."

***************A Demon's Mate*****************

It wasn't long after his story, that Sebastian excused himself. Serena had simply nodded when he left the room, he wasn't really seeing her anyway. The demon had been unable to settle after he had told her his past and she hadn't really been able to process what he told her with his constant pacing and the frustration rolling off him. It was pure exhaustion that pulled her down to the pillow and let the red head slip into an uneasy sleep.

Her dreams were filled with images she didn't understand. Places that she had never been or seen. They finally stopped outside a large city that Serena knew she had never visited. A crowd was approaching a set of large gates and she had no choice but to move with them. The girl didn't understand the words that were spoken around her but the mood was happy. Some kind of celebration. The people seemed to pay no mind to her at all. As though, she wasn't even there.

The crowd pushed through the gates and Serena could see the stone buildings of the city as they passed. It was the same as any other, merchants still hawked their wares, people still chatted with others. But there was a feeling ancient in their buildings, in the food the vendors were selling. The crowds were thicker inside the city walls and she was constantly shuffled, pushed and squashed between people that didn't see or didn't acknowledge her.

Finally, the narrow streets opened to a large square. Looking up, Serena gasped at the building before her. Pale stone and jeweled tiles reflected the sun's light. Spires of the same stone reached for the clouds, capped with more glittering gems. There were no gates or fencing surrounding the building. It gave off a sense of welcome even though she was certain that you were not meant to enter.

The people cheered as the massive doors opened. Parents lifted small children on their shoulders and teens climbed onto the tops of vendor's stalls to get a better look at the women that were coming out in pairs from the building.

A woman appeared in the doorway, alone, and the crowd roared. She was small. Shorter than Serena and gave off an air of delicate. She was dressed in white. The same pure color of the hair that fell to the woman's knees. Gold bangles shimmered from her wrists as she raised her hands to quiet the crowd. She found that she couldn't turn her attention from the other woman. Again, Serena could not understand what was being said but the people around her only grew more excited. When her gaze finally left the woman, the red head was shocked at what she saw.

He was standing behind the woman, just to side to be able to see the crowd. His hair was long, pulled up in a high pony tail to keep it out of the way. The uniform he wore was dark, shades of black and gray. Heavy boots came up to his knees and she could see the glint of a knife hidden in one. What could only be described as gauntlets covered his hands, one resting on the large sword at his side. The man looked over the crowd, constantly scanning for threats. Icy Blue eyes caught the shocked girl in the midst of all the cheering people and narrowed in suspicion.

"Sebastian?"

******************A Demon's Mate********************

"Sebastian?"

Serena jerked out of her vision to see the demon in question in front of her. The tailcoat and gloves had made a reappearance, completing his unruffled look. He sat on the edge of the bed, his hand on her cheek.

"You called for me?"

She sat up, taking the hand in hers and pulling the glove off. Her fingers ran over the contract mark on his pale skin and held his nails up for her inspection.

"You were tan."

The hand jerked out of hers.

"And your eyes were blue."

"It is morning and we need to return you to your room, before the rest of the house wakes." Sebastian stood and turned away from her.

"I saw you when you were human, didn't I?" The red head slid out of the bed.

"I do not know what you saw."

"Bullshit!" Serena watched as he turned back, surprise on his face. "There was a square and people and a woman with white hair. You were standing behind her and watching the crowd. The woman was Armana."

"Yes." His lips pursed before he finally explained. "I left myself open and I apologize."

"So, when you're upset, I can see things in your mind?"

He didn't want to answer, but knew that she wouldn't let it go. "Yes. Now, you need to be back upstairs. Lady Francis and Lady Elizabeth are already awake and using the ballroom for early morning practice. I need to wake the other servants and finish breakfast before it is time to wake my master."

"Ciel." She thought back to the night before. "Exactly how are you going to wake Ciel?"

"Oh, I thought that having one of his limbs ripped off might be a nice change."

"Sebastian!"

"He touched my mate! After he had already said that he wouldn't."

"You are not to harm Ciel." She wagged a finger in his face. "I told you that I would take the blame for that and I thought that we were over it."

The demon growled at her.

"Promise that you will not hurt Ciel in any way."

"I promise."

"You promise what?" Serena crossed her arms as she glared at him.

"Serena."

"Say the words and mean them. I'd like to think that I've learned a little something after all this time."

Sebastian growled a little more but bowed. "I promise that I will cause no physical harm to my master."

"Thank you." She smiled and held out her arms while he eyed her suspiciously. "I'm trying to be nice."

The demon moved slowly into her arms and she stood on her tip toes to kiss him quickly.

"Good morning."

The red head felt his arms moved jerkily and then the electric touch of skin as his hands slid along her jaw, into her hair before pulling her into another, deeper, kiss. When he finally let go, Serena realized her hands were fisted in his coat.

"Good morning, my mate." His eyes were swirling as he smirked at her dazed expression.

The girl held a hand to her lips. "You know, I'm beginning to think that touch thing isn't very fair."

He laughed, a finger still running along her jawline. Serena slid her own over his and pulled it away to look at it. "So, why are you so pale now?"

Sebastian jerked his hand back and put his gloves on again.

"Honestly, you're like a dog with a bone." His voice didn't hide his irritation or his disgust with the comparison. He found a finger in his face again.

"Did you just call me a dog?"

He felt her anger rising and taking the chance of a peaceful morning with it. "Being damned means being denied the light of God. All demons are pale as the sun's warmth never reaches them. I could stand in the Sahara for months and I would still be as pale as I am now."

"Interesting."

Sebastian put a hand under her knees to lift the girl against him. "I will carry you to your room so that we can get through the halls without anyone seeing you."

"You got some kind of magic invisibility cloak under that tailcoat?"

"Close your eyes."

She did and felt the wind rush over her. When Serena looked again, Sebastian was lowering her to the carpet in her room.

"I forgot about that."

"You still have about a half an hour before Mei-Rin comes to help you dress. Is there anything that you need?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Then I will see at breakfast." Sebastian started to walk out but stopped when she called him.

"There is something else that I should probably tell you."

"What is that, my mate?"

She fidgeted before finally looking up. "I have a dog at home. Well, Tao is staying with my mother until I get back from Japan, but you know what I mean."

He sneered and went out the door.

"Oh, you would love her!"

***********************A Demon's Mate***********************

Sebastian entered his Master's room to find the young man still in the deep grip of peaceful slumber. He felt the same murderous rage he had last night, but the promise his mate extracted before leaving his rooms this morning made the demon calm himself. However, just because he promised not to harm his Master in any way, didn't mean that he wouldn't confront the human.

Serena never made him promise not to scare his master.

"Master, it is time to wake up." He pulled the curtain and tied it back while hearing the young man behind him rubbing his eyes.

The butler quickly spouted off the Earl's schedule, that was particularly empty since the nobles were mostly still celebrating the holidays and the Midford's ball was this evening. Pulling out a green suit, that even Lady Francis would not be able to find fault with, Sebastian started to dress his master for the day. There was nothing in his Master's movements or speech that hinted he was aware that he had done anything wrong. He would have to change that.

"I hear you and Serena had an interesting discussion yesterday while I was out."

Ciel stopped dead, with his first cup of tea to his lips.

"I thought that we had already had this conversation, Master."

"You want me to apologize for kissing Serena?" He set the cup down on the small table at his bedside.

"It would be a start."

"I will not."

The demon snarled at him, and Ciel jerked. The Earl refused to back down, collecting himself quickly, he stared back at his butler. After a moment of staring, Sebastian smirked.

"My, you obviously have spend too much time around the lowly humans you do business with."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ciel snapped.

"Well, kissing one woman, who belongs to someone else. While your fiancé, who is staying here with the purpose of spending time with you, is just down the hall. Seems rather low to me. I thought that I had raised you better."

Ciel looked away. Sebastian could smell the shame that rolled off the human and nodded, satisfied with the results. The demon stood and went to fetch his Master's boots. _'Serena was right. I didn't need to dismember anyone to get my point across. When it comes to my Master, shame is always a better motivator.'_

"I do not understand why this has happened, and it does intrigue me. However, it really does not matter. It will not change anything. As I told Serena, whatever relationship you are imagining, it has no future. Your betrothal to Lady Elizabeth will not disappear, just as I will not."

"I'm well aware of that," Ciel said as he touched the patch over his eye.

************A Demon's Mate***************

Serena could feel the tension in the air at the breakfast table. Unfortunately, it didn't appear to come from any one person. Ciel was engrossed in the morning paper, refusing to speak to anyone other than a yes or no answer. Lizzy and Lady Midford kept talking amongst themselves while occasionally shooting a glance at the Earl. Sebastian had taken up a place behind his Master that put him directly in the way of Serena and Ciel. Even Soma was quiet, Agni right behind him.

"I have decided that I will remain here," Lady Francis spoke as she set down her cup of tea. "I will travel with all of you this afternoon. It makes more sense than taking two carriages to the same location within hours of each other."

"Of course, Aunt Francis." Ciel didn't look up from the paper and it seemed to irritate the woman further.

"I tried to wake you this morning, Ciel. I thought that you would like to attend practice with Lizzy and myself."

"I apologize. I must have been more tired than I had thought."

"I also tried to wake Miss Serena." Green eyes shot to the red head as she sputtered. "She wasn't in her rooms this morning."

That made the Earl finally look at the table's occupants. Serena was staring at the tabletop, Francis was glaring at him and Lizzy was looking hopeful, like she waited for him to deny her mother's accusation.

"Perhaps, she was just ignoring your infernal knocking, Aunt. Like I was." Ciel took a sip from his teacup with a smile. Down the table, Soma choked on his.

"Perhaps. However, that doesn't explain why she wasn't in the room when I entered or the fact that her bed had not been slept in."

"What are you getting at?" The Earl's hand hit the table with enough force to make the dishes rattle.

"Do you know where you're 'guest' was last night, Lord Phantomhive?"

"Forgive me, Lady Midford." Serena brought their attention back to her. "But, I'm not one of your children and I really don't think that it is any of your business where I was last night."

"It is when you share a house with my future son-in-law."

"I believe that I understand what you are implying, Lady Midford." Sebastian picked up the woman's cup to refill it. "However, you are wrong. Miss Serena was not in the Master's rooms last night."

"Really, Sebastian?" Lizzy let out a sigh of relief.

"No, my lady." He set the cup back down, aware that the older blonde was still staring at him. The butler smiled at her. "She was in mine."

It was Ciel's turn to choke on his breakfast and Serena patted him on the back, her face stained as red as her hair. Lizzy was staring at the red head with her mouth open, while Agni and the Prince were trying to hide their laughter at the look on Lady Francis' face.

A thud came from behind them and the table turned to see Mei-Rin on the floor. The other servants had crowded around the maid, trying to wake her from her faint. Bard could still be heard snickering as Finny complained.

"I can't believe they had a sleepover." The gardener whispered to Snake. "They should have invited the rest of us."

Tanaka reached over and smacked the blonde man. Serena looked around her and dropped her head to the table. After a moment, they could hear her laughing, punctuated by sobs.

***************************A Demon's Mate*************************

When Serena had finally left the dining room, Lady Francis caught her in the hall. The older woman had pulled her into the guest room she was using and proceeded to give the girl a long lecture on the importance of propriety and how one's actions reflected on their reputation. Of course, Elizabeth had to sit in on this lecture, so that she never made such a mistake. In the end, the red head decided that it would be easier to take the verbal beating than fight against it and sat like a good girl as the marchioness ranted.

"I understand that young women can be carried away, especially by a man with such indecent looks as that butler. That is why an older woman is normally present. To prevent girls from being taken in by men with thoughts full of lust." After an hour, Lady Midford was still going.

"Yes, Lady Francis." This answer had become automatic and Serena didn't even think about it anymore.

"This conduct is very unbecoming of a woman that was trusted to watch my daughter and her fiancé. You were specifically to guard against such behavior."

"I never let Lizzy and Ciel alone in a situation that could have led to...what happened between Sebastian and myself."

"It is good to know that your lack of judgment only applies to yourself." The older blonde crossed her arms. "However, just the thought of your actions gives other young ladies ideas."

Lizzy shrunk away from her mother's glare.

"I have never had ideas like that, Mother."

Serena wasn't about to be the only one under this bus. "Yeah, that's why you wanted to stay in the Countess' Suite when you first arrived."

"Elizabeth!"

"I wasn't trying anything, honest."

Lady Francis started to pace and Lizzy smacked Serena's arm when the woman's back was turned. The red head just smiled.

"I really didn't think that Ciel would try anything, Mother."

"Men are creatures that fundamentally lack self-control. It is up to ladies to protect themselves. You have been taught not to put yourself in such a situation, Elizabeth."

"I'm sorry. But Serena did point out the wrong in my idea and put a stop to it."

"Well, thank God for that. You and Lord Phantomhive are not children anymore, Elizabeth. You both have a reputation to protect and society will always look for a flaw. A lady's reputation can be slaughtered in an instant. I have told you that time and again."

"Yes, Mother."

Lady Francis turned her attention back to the red head. "I assume that you got a promise of marriage from Sebastian before your good sense flew out the window, Miss Serena."

 _'Well, he has gone on about that mate thing enough to count.'_

"Yes, Lady Francis."

"Well, at least that was right. However, men are deceptive at their core. After the ball, I will return to the Phantomhive estate and I will see that he makes good on that promise."

Serena blinked at the older woman.

"As you have already proven that you cannot be trusted to resist, the two of you will not be left alone for any amount of time. There will be no more late night visits or sleepovers. Is that understood?" She waved a finger in the girl's horrified face.

"Yes, Lady Francis."

Author's Note: I seem to like the note at the bottom better. Plugging away on Kat and Nikolai, hoping to have a Halloween release date. Also had a great idea for a one-shot with Serena and the Day of the Dead. Very fitting with this world, I think anyway.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty Seven

Serena leaned on the doorframe of the billiards room after finally being released from Warden Midford. Sebastian was currently polishing the fine wood of the table with a cloth, but turned when he noticed her.

"Way to throw me under the whore bus there, thanks."

The butler put down the rag he was using. "I know that this morning was unfortunate, however, even you should have been able to see that Lady Midford was not going to let up until she knew. She's very much like you in that regard."

She came into the room fully and sank down in one of the chairs next to the fireplace that was burning brightly. Next to the light, Serena noticed how dark it had gotten outside. The days were so short here.

"What is it that is really bothering you, my mate?"

"You know, privacy is a state of mind, as well as a state of being. I really didn't want everyone to know what is going on between us, or what they think is going on."

"I believe that I see your complaint." Sebastian knelt next to her chair. "This morning was not my ideal situation either, but there was no other way out than to own to it."

"You couldn't have thought of something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, I fell asleep in the library with a book, anything." She slumped back in the chair.

"No. I apologize that I was distracted this morning and I didn't notice Lady Francis moving about the manor. I did stop her when she tried to wake my Master, however I didn't know that she had tried your rooms as well." A gloved hand took hers, rubbing gentle circles over the back of it.

"Well, now she's insisting that you marry me." Serena looked down at their joined hands. "If I smell like lemon polish, I'm not going to be happy."

"Of course." He leaned forward and kissed her. "But, I like the smell of lemon polish."

She shook her head with a smile. "I told you that you liked this butler schtick."

"You are correct." He smirked.

"I don't understand how you can be so calm. Francis isn't going to forget about us being married. How can you marry me?"

He gave her a sly smile. "Master will put me in charge of the preparations. Of course, I cannot enter a church so it will be held here at the manor. I'm afraid that the 'ceremony' will be mostly an act and it will be more legal than anything."

"Legal? Sebastian Michaelis doesn't really exist and for that matter, neither do I. At least, not for another hundred years."

"As I said, it will be mostly an act. I'll simply have one of the many demons roaming London play a priest, we'll sign the register and that will make Lady Midford happy."

"Can you even stand in front of a priest?"

The demon laughed. "My mate, many of your priests are the most corrupt souls I've ever seen."

"Yeah, I figured kind of figured that." Serena rubbed her forehead. "But still, it's the principal of the thing."

"If I can stand before Agni, whom is one of the most faithful to walk the earth, I can stand before any priest."

"Well, you've just thought of everything, haven't you?" She threw her hands up in the air.

His head cocked to the side as he looked at her. "You are upset?"

"You know that whole saying that every girl dreams of her wedding day? Now, you're telling me, basically, that mine is going to be a total sham."

"Serena." He pulled her out of the chair to stand in front of him. "Marriage is, at it's most basic definition, a union before whatever denomination's God that is worshiped. It is impossible for me. You will still have the pretty gown and anyone that you want invited. The ceremony may be facade, however the sentiment behind it is not."

"When you put it that way." She smiled as Sebastian leaned down to kiss her. Melting into him, Serena was still smiling when he pulled away.

"Besides, this way, I no longer have to worry about my Master trying to kiss you again."

"You...you...you played us both!"

Sebastian winked at her.

Serena stared at him in shock for a moment before slumping back in her chair with a sigh. The demon laughed at her before going back to his work.

She shook her head with a laugh. "Is it always going to be like this? With your contracts, I mean."

He kept his back turned, putting up the cue sticks after wiping them with the cloth. "You will not meet any of my other contracts."

"What? Then where will I stay?"

"At our home, of course." He set another stick in the rack and moved to the next.

"Home? That's Hell, right?"

"Yes, where else would a demon reside?"

"So, you're saying that I have to stay in Hell? I can't ever come back?"

Sebastian took a deep breath at the increasing panic in her voice. He had known that this conversation was going to happen eventually, but he still hadn't been looking forward to it. When he turned around, Serena stared at him in shock.

"That is correct, Serena. You have seen the trouble that you get into. Once a mate is in their demon's home, they do not leave it again as it is the safest place for them. You will rule the house while I am gone."

"What about my home, my family, my friends." She stood from the chair. "I'm about to graduate."

"That is all meaningless now."

"It has meaning to me," The girl said forcefully.

"Serena..."

"Don't Serena me. I'm just supposed to give up everything?"

The demon sighed. "You have nothing to give up."

"How would you know? We're a hundred years away from my life, that you know nothing about."

"I know plenty about your life, Serena." Sebastian's eyes started to swirl as he pushed her back into the chair to lean over her. "You have always been a loner. You may have family, but none that you are close to. You were mostly ignored growing up and those that didn't ignore you, turned you away. As you grew, none of the people your age wanted anything to do with you. You may have friends now, but they are casual acquaintances at best. None of them really know you. That is why it's so easy to show the face that they are expecting to see here and why you easily come up with explanations out of thin air. You are used to acting, putting up a front so that no one can really know you. No one can get close enough to hurt you."

He watched the horror come over her face. The demon knew that he was hurting his mate, but this obviously had to be done.

 _'You must tear something down, to build new.'_

"You've never fit in anywhere. You watch those around you but you never really understand them, just as they don't understand you. Your life could be easily stepped away from. There would be people that would look for you, that would mourn you, but they will move on easily enough. You have no real attachments, Serena, because you are not supposed to. You will always be alone because you were never meant to live out a normal life in the human world. The only attachment that you are meant to have is to me and I am all that you will ever need."

"It's a lie," she whispered as he pulled away.

"What Serena? What have I said that was lie? What have I described that was wrong?"

Her breathing was harsh and she opened her mouth several times but nothing would come out. "Nothing! Nothing you said is wrong. Are you happy?"

The red head bolted up from her chair and ran out of the room, a sob echoing behind her. The demon heard her footsteps on the stairs and then the door slamming behind her as Serena escaped the house itself for the snow covered garden and the solitude it offered. He made no move to follow her, she wouldn't be happy to see him right now.

 _'As regrettable as it is, it had to be done. My mate needs to realize that there has never been a place for her in the human world and there never will be. Her future is with me.'_ Sebastian sighed to himself and shook his head.

The demon was lost in his thoughts and missed Lady Francis coming into the room.

"I hope that little scene was not about you refusing to marry Serena now that you have ruined her."

Sebastian jumped a little, surprised that the woman had been able to sneak up on him. When he turned around, the butler's normal smile was in place and he appeared undisturbed by the venom in her voice.

"Not at all, my lady. Serena is the one who has been more... reluctant to commit."

"Good." Francis moved quickly, grabbing the butler's ear and pulling down. "I have words for you as well."

**********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Serena kept running, past the mansion's gardens, through the small patch of manicured lawn and into the woods that made Phantomhive manor feel like it's own little world, blocking it off the rest. The just rising full moon illuminated in the sky and made the snow covered world glow an ethereal white. Sebastian's words echoed through her mind as she tried to outrun the smooth voice.

 _'You've always been alone.'_

The wet snow that had begun to melt in the day's sunlight clung to the hem of her gown, adding to the already heavy weight.

 _'You're life could be easily stepped away from.'_

Lower branches caught in her hair, pulling out the pins that had been so carefully placed this morning. Brambles caught her hemline and yanked on the delicate fabric, trying to trip her.

 _'There would be people that would look for you, mourn you, but they would move on easily enough.'_

Tears filled her vision, blinding her to anything but the white snow. The heavy dress weighed her down, making her legs ache. Wearing out, she stumbled through the forest bumping into bushes and trees. Animals had already bedded down for the chilly night, leaving the only sounds that of her harsh breathing echoing against the trees.

The hoot of an owl in the dark startled the girl and she turned to look. She never saw the fallen log, covered in snow, blending into the landscape. Serena's ankle twisted in the rotten wood and the powdered snow cushioned her fall while spraying up around her.

Finally stopped, her body refused to stand and go any further. Tears continued to fall and splash onto the fresh snow, freezing into the white covering. More white fell around her and she looked up to see more flakes starting to fall from the patterned clouds.

Exhaustion filled the red head and her ankle screamed as she pulled herself under the shelter of a large tree. Wrapping her arms around herself, the girl curled into the trunk letting the pain of the truth that he had made her face wash over her.

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Ciel glared at his smiling butler as he sat through the lecture that had originally been meant for Sebastian. As the Earl had passed the room, he had been called in. Evidently, because he had basically been raised by Sebastian, Francis decided that Ciel needed a talking to as well. He had already promised that his aunt could stay and police the couple, as well as promising to set about preparations for a small wedding to be held at the manor as soon as possible. For some reason, Sebastian had offered to find the official with a strange smile.

He knew the smile the demon wore now, was a front he had put on. Several times when the lady turned away, Ciel had seen the demon's eyes flash to their true, swirling red. Before Francis turned back around, the swirling had disappeared and his normal crimson was back in place.

Ciel was watching when Sebastian's gaze narrowed and turned to the window.

"Are either of you even listening to me?"

"Of course, Lady Francis." They answered together.

"What did I just say then?"

The men looked at each other and back to the woman. They saw her lips purse. The hand came out of nowhere and managed to smack both on the side of the head. Francis and Ciel noticed how Sebastian's gaze went back to the window again.

"Since I cannot get either of you to pay attention, I guess that this discussion will have to be postponed. It is almost time for us to leave anyway."

"Please, forgive us my lady." Sebastian bowed from his place beside his Master as the human jumped from his seat.

Ciel couldn't leave the room fast enough and made a beeline for the sanctuary of his own suite with it's locking door. The butler turned to follow but didn't even make it to the door.

"Sebastian."

The demon turned back to the woman, a smile on his face.

"Yes, Lady Francis?" He bowed.

"I may not like how Serena handled herself in this situation, I may not like how close she is to my daughter's fiancé, however, I do like Serena. Despite how you choose to tell everyone, I have no complaint at your choice of wife. She will make a wonderful companion for yourself, as well as Lizzy when she marries into the Phantomhive house."

Sebastian blinked in surprise, not sure what to say. A genuine smile graced his perfect face as he bowed again. "Thank you, Lady Francis."

The lady walked forward and the only warning he had was the smallest twitch of her eye. A comb was run through his hair, slicking it back from his face.

"Perhaps, she will also find a way to control you both."

"I apologize, Lady Francis."

****************A Demon's Mate******************

As Serena huddled under the heavy branches of the old tree, she replayed memories from her childhood. She remembered watching the other children and their little groups. Not matter what she did, what clothes she wore, what shows she forced herself to watch when she was allowed to, the red head was never invited into any of those little circles. As time wore on, it had been harder to find a particular one that she wanted to be a part of. She had never been the best student, was awful at sports, and could never figure out instruments. The only thing she found that she was good at was drawing. Committing to paper the lives that she watched play out around her, but never participated in. It was a solitary activity that she allowed to consume her lonely teen years, as even the artsy group hadn't wanted her.

Apathy, from those that surrounded her had turned to jealousy in high school. It grew worse with each piece that she completed until she could feel it even from her teachers. Serena had learned early that being invisible had been better than shining so bright. By her junior year, she had learned to ignore them all. When she entered college, her first choice art school on full scholarship, she had stopped trying completely. However, mysterious was appealing and people started to come to her. The red head had found the same was true the world over when she chose to study abroad for a semester.

Sebastian's words had cut so deep because she had made herself block out those years. She made herself oblivious to the fact that her 'friends' only came around when they wanted her help with one of their projects. Even her roommate in Tokyo, Akiko, had fought so hard to share with Serena so that she could have the best so close. She had even blinded herself to the theater trip that had been planned. The night she had ended up here, the group had asked her out because she was leaving soon...and Izumi was coming to America in a few months. It was a last chance to butter her up before she went home. Serena could ease Izumi's way into finding work in America.

"Serena?" A hand touched her shoulder and the girl's head shot up.

*********************A Demon's Mate***********************

Sebastian looked to the window again as he slid the jacket of his Master's costume over his shoulders. Ciel had managed to talk Lizzy out of the fairy costume she had been eying and directed her to a different theme. Dressed all in black, the Earl had a mask of a crescent moon that would cover his eye instead of the patch. Lizzy was to be dressed as the sun.

 _'A fitting comparison.'_ He remembered Miss Nina's observation as he pulled on the many rings that Sebastian had taken from the safe. The diamonds would sparkle with the smallest light, just like stars.

"What are you looking for?" Ciel ground out. It was obvious that he was still irritated at being brought into the whole thing between his butler and his nosy aunt. "You keep looking out the window every few minutes."

"I apologize, Master. Serena has not returned to the house."

"She's outside?" He whirled around. "It's freezing out there."

"We had a small argument and she needed to cool off." The demon handed his master the mask that would complete his costume.

"I swear, the two of you are nothing but trouble."

"I apologize, Master."

"Make sure that she is back in the house before you get the horses." Ciel rubbed his forehead. "It would be just like her to freeze to death just to spite you."

"Yes, Master."

*******************A Demon's Mate*********************

Serena was surprised to see Ronald and William standing under the shelter of the tree with her. She could see the look of pity on both their faces and hurried to brush the tears from her cheeks. The blonde held out a hand to help her stand.

"What are you two doing all the way out here?" She tried to put weight on her damaged ankle, but it gave under the pressure. Ronald caught her and waited until she got her balance.

"Are you alright, Miss Serena?" William took off his suit coat and put it around the red head's shoulders. "It's far too cold to be sitting out here."

"Yeah, it is a little stupid."

The manager wiped a tear she had missed. "A pure soul should not have to suffer the touch of a corrupt being."

"It's not that," she laughed wetly. "It's more humans that have always been my problem."

"I see." William pulled out his watch and checked the time.

"I'm sorry, did you need to see Ciel about something? He'll be leaving for the Midford's ball soon." She pointed absently in the direction of the house as she huddled inside William's jacket.

"No, that's not why we're here."

"Okay." She looked between the two reapers with confusion. "Did you need to see Sebastian?"

"No." William answered, not quite keeping the disgust out of his voice.

"Translation, it's none of your business why we're here." Serena looked to Ronald. The younger reaper had stepped away and was staring at the ground. She smiled and poked him gently. "Hey, what's wrong with you? You're awfully quiet."

He looked up, eyes full of regret.

"I'm sorry."

 _'I'll just have to think of something else.'_ Her smile faded as a voice came through her mind. It wasn't Sebastian's and certainly not her own. She had only heard the clear sound one time, on a bench in Hyde Park. _'To get my point across.'_

Serena heard the sound of the gun cocking behind her as the world slowed down. William took the jacket from her shoulders as he and Ronald stepped into the shadows of the forest around them. She spun to face the sound of a gun firing. Shock covered the burning path of the bullet as it cut through her chest. The reapers watched fresh blood splatter across the snow, like petals of a rose against the white ground.

Author's Note: Well, you all wanted an update…


	28. Chapter 28

Author's Note: This whole fic was inspired by Sandara's Hades and Persephone 2. You can hop on over to check it out on deviant art, if you wish. It's gorgeous. I actually built the whole fic around the last chapter and this one. Don't worry, we're not done just yet. It's going to get a tad bit dark for a while, though.

I had planned to put A Mate's Halloween back up for the holiday, but I don't have it anymore. I evidently forgot to save it when I deleted this the first time. So, I'll post another chapter instead.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and the demons that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty Eight-Aftermath

Sebastian had stepped into the garden when a burning ripped through his chest, forcing the demon to his knees. His predator's hearing caught the sound of a gunshot and he took off just as fast. Panic, an unusual emotion for a demon, took over as he followed the scent of his mate's freshly spilled blood. He jumped over the fallen log without a thought to see a human male standing over his mate, gun drawn. The man felt nothing as his spine was ripped out of his body and more blood spilled over the snow.

Serena looked to see the stars that she had been staring at, were blocked out by the face of her demon. Behind him, she heard William's voice.

"You have two minutes."

**********************A Demon's Mate***********************

Ciel walked down the stairs alone. At the bottom, Agni was putting a cloak over his prince's shoulders, hiding the officer's uniform Soma was wearing. His hat held a large plumage of white feathers that the higher ranking military wore. The Indian's mask only covered his eyes as he knew that nothing would be able to mask his accent. Lady Frances wore the deep green of the forest with leaves painted on her still flawless skin. Her blonde hair was held up in a looser style than normal, with more leaves threaded through it. The mask covering her face was a large green leaf, almost the same color of her eyes. Snake held a cloak of softer green for the older woman.

The small group shuffled and Ciel almost missed the last stair. Lizzy stood in a soft gown, made entirely of layers of thin silk that was cut at various angles to show off the array of golds, yellows and whites that made it. Her hair was left to fall down her back in a riot of curls to mimic the sun's rays. When she laughed at something Soma said, little citrines and diamonds sparkled from the length. A golden mask covered half her face and reflected any light that hit it.

"Ciel!" Lizzy hurried to the bottom of the stairs and took in his costume. "I still think that it's a little too dark."

"You look beautiful. Your costume suits you perfectly, Lizzy."

The girl giggled and he saw the light blush that dusted her cheeks.

"Thank you."

Ciel took the golden velvet cloak from Tanaka and slid it easily around her shoulders. The Earl didn't miss the raised eyebrow of his aunt as he held out an arm for Lizzy.

"Shall we go?"

A gunshot made everyone jump. Lizzy held Ciel's arm tighter as they all looked to the back of the house.

"That is awful close," Francis commented.

Agni stood in front of his Prince as the farce of bumbling servants was dropped quickly and the four took off for their battle positions. Tanaka smiled at the nobles.

"I'm afraid that your leaving would best be postponed for a moment." The former butler bowed. "If you all would follow me. We should move to a safer part of the house while this is sorted out."

Lizzy tried to loosen her grip on Ciel's arm, tried not to show how frightened she was. When they were married, she knew that this would be an all too normal occurrence. Her mother had told her frequently of how Frances' father and brother had always employed select servants whose only job was to fight those that attacked the Phantomhive manor. It was a part of life for a Phantomhive and one that she had been raised to accept. Still, she admitted to herself that the reality was much more frightening than the stories she had been told.

She looked around and only Soma seemed to be upset. Ciel and Frances walked behind Tanaka with easy strides, their faces betraying nothing.

"Ciel," She whispered, tugging on his sleeve. "Serena is still outside. I never saw her come back in."

"It's alright. I had already sent Sebastian to get her before this started. I'm sure she's fine."

Lizzy nodded and looked ahead again.

Tanaka led the nobles to one of the smaller sitting rooms, used for less important guests. Walking to the back of the room, the elderly man pulled on one of the candle sconces set into the wall. A panel of the wall opened to show another room behind it. It was clean but stark. As they filed in, Lizzy saw a couch and two chairs that had been placed in the windowless room.

"I didn't know that this room was here." Frances looked back to her nephew.

"I had this put in when I rebuilt the manor." He neglected to tell which time the house had been rebuilt. The Earl took the candle stick that his father's butler offered and nodded. In a moment the panel closed, sinking into the wall and cutting the room off. "There is also a tunnel that leads several meters from the house if necessary."

Ciel lifted the small carpet back to show a hatch in the floor and Francis nodded.

"If only my brother had thought of such a thing."

"Nothing had ever happened to give him a need." The Earl looked away, his hand unconsciously going to his covered eye.

********************A Demon's Mate*********************

"Serena!" Sebastian put his hand over the hole in her chest, trying to stop the blood flowing from the wound. He was oblivious to the gunshots and sounds of battle coming from the manor. For once, the demon ignored the calls of his Master

"I didn't...I didn't get a chance...to tell you." She coughed and blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth. "I guess...that it doesn't matter now."

"Quiet." He tried to think, but his mind was too frantic to stay on any one thought. "Make a contract with me."

"What?"

"Wish for something. I can fix this if you make a contract with me."

"You can't...serve two...Masters."

"I'll break it. I'll break my contract with Ciel Phantomhive. Just wish for something."

"No." Her voice was weaker, her lungs filling with blood they tried to cough out. "Promise me. Promise...you'll stay...with Ciel. That you'll...always...watch over him."

"Serena..."

"Don't... dodge it...damn it!"

"I've told you, that is language unbecoming of a lady."

She laughed, coughing up more blood to add to the ever growing pool around them. He felt her heart slowing, failing to beat against the pressure of the liquid that still pooled in her chest.

"Promise...exact words..."

"I swear, I will always watch over Ciel Phantomhive."

She nodded. "...love...you."

"Don't...don't say that."

He watched, helpless as the last breath escaped her lungs. A small, black tear fell from his eye as he felt her organs shut down and awareness slipped from her eyes that stared at the stars. The demon's head fell beside her, buried in the soft hair, trying to catch his mate's sweet scent in the red waves. But there was nothing, the calming smell already stolen by the cloying scent of blood and death.

"Serena."

Footsteps came through the snow and sorrow turned to rage. Swirling, demonic red glared into glowing, reaper green.

"You watched. You watched and did nothing!" Sebastian spat out, still holding his dead mate.

"Of course. It is not our place to interfere." William stepped forward, his death scythe ready. "Once a person is placed on the To-Die list, there is nothing to be done."

"Bring her back! I know you can. For Grell's attack, bring her back."

"I'm afraid that is impossible. I was given specific orders to collect her soul regardless of what is shown in her cinematic record." His scythe shot out, headed for the bloody, red target of the girl's still chest.

A hand with long black nails, like claws, closed around the scythe's blade before it hit its intended target. William watched in horror as his 'unbreakable' scythe groaned and finally snapped from the pressure of the demon's fist. He heard the cry of his underling and turned to see Ronald put his arms up to protect himself from the barrage of black feathers that shot at them both.

When Ronald finally brought his arms down, a being he had never encountered stood before the reapers holding the red head's corpse. Massive black wings rose into the sky, seeming to touch the clouds themselves and curled around the two bodies. A body that was as pale as marble stood clothed in black leather and the chains of the damned. Black hair, that was once short, now danced long and loose in a wind of power. Swirling, red eyes glowed with evil light as stark, white fangs were shown by cruel lips, sneering at the reapers.

"He's...strangely beautiful."

"Of course, evil is always beautiful." William took a step back, mind whirling through his options.

"Boss, what do we do?" Ronald held his own deathscythe ready but still looked between the demon and his manager frantically.

"Her soul must be delivered. There is nothing else to do." He looked at the broken end of his own scythe but stood firm.

"You will never touch my mate." A voice filled with the wrath of hundreds came from the throat of the demon in front of them. "Her soul was made to be mine...and I will keep it."

"Keep it?!" Ronald shouted. "In what, a rotting corpse?"

William put a hand up to silence the other reaper. "Don't bother, Knox. Look at his eyes."

The swirling depths carried none of the arrogance and raw power of new demons, nor the quick cunning of the Elders. There was nothing. Only the desperation one saw in a cornered animal.

"He's completely lost himself."

**********************A Demon's Mate********************

Ciel looked up as the foundation of the house shook. He watched the others panic and try to find the source as they clung together. He knew the source, having felt it once in London.

 _'Sebastian! What the hell is going on?'_

Just like before there was no butler coming to his call. Ciel tried to ignore the dread in his gut and put a hand on Lizzy's shoulder to calm the girl. Another shockwave ripped through the house and the nobles heard the massive shatter of the chandelier falling from the hall ceiling.

"Ciel? Maybe we should look at that tunnel of yours?" Soma jumped as another crash was heard from the room beside them.

"Open it, but don't go yet. We don't know where the fighting is and it would do no good to come up in the midst of it."

Agni came forward. "I could follow to its end and see what is going on, Lord Phantomhive."

After a moment, the Earl nodded.

***********************A Demon's Mate*********************

William and Ronald struck out at the demon as he backed further into the trees. Serena's body was still held against his own as he dodged the blows of their deathscythes. The fight had been non-stop and the reapers were weakening. The younger reaper missed a step on the shuddering earth and the demon switched from the defensive in an instant. A clawed hand shot out and barely missed the blonde's throat.

"Ronald, fall back! You don't have enough experience to fight a demon." William jumped in front of him, his scythe held in front to deflect the attacks.

"And your scythe is broken!"

A fist hammered the scythe again with enough force to send both flying back. William coughed from the blow to his chest but quickly recovered. Straightening his glasses, the reaper surveyed the scene. The demon had fallen back into the shadows, needing to rearrange the extra weight he carried.

"We're not going to get this one, Boss."

"Yes, we are. I won't let that vermin keep her soul." The manager extended his broken scythe and ran forward again. He was struck back by a black wing before he could get in close. Ronald caught the older man as a scream of rage came out of the demon. The reapers put their hands over their ears at the sharp sound. The ground buckled beneath them and jagged spears of rock shot from the crevases that were created, making them move back further.

A clawed hand came at them and William fell over the uneven ground, losing his grip on his scythe.

"Boss!"

The manager heard Ronald's scream from across a distance as the claws came at him again. Falling to the ground, there was nowhere to escape. His eyes widened and stared at the death coming at him. His vision filled with black.

A metallic sound echoed against the trees as time seemed to stop. William realized the black he had seen was Undertaker's trench coat. Gone was the long top hat and the flowing robes the mortician normally wore over his suit. In their place was a fitted coat that was easier to fight in. His heeled boots had been replaced with flat dress shoes, helping to keep his footing as he faced the power of the demon before him.

Undertaker's large scythe had caught the demon's hand as it descended to William's throat. Gathering his strength, the reaper shoved against the hand on his scythe and made the demon fall back.

"I knew that this would happen." There was not a trace of laughter in the legendary reaper as he stood between the other two and the demon. The ancients watched each other carefully, sizing each other up.

Undertaker nodded, not taking his eyes from the enemy. "You two, get out of here. Neither of you has the skills to take on a crazed Elder."

"Undertaker..."

"I said go! You're of no use here." He waited to hear the sound of movement behind him. "Tell the Council, the other Elders may be needed. Haagenti, specifically."

"Very well." William nodded even though the other couldn't see him. "Come Ronald, he's right. We would only be in the way."

Undertaker snorted. "Ask me again why I retired. Bunch of idiots running things now. They should have called for the Elders the minute her name appeared on the list. Another Elder should have been here when you tried to collect her soul."

"I will tell them to call Haagenti." William kept his eyes on the two as he and Ronald went toward the tunnel they had created back to the Reaper's realm.

The ancient waited until the tunnel closed before taking a breath. A fierce growl eminated from the demon's chest as he pulled his mate deeper into the shadows, rearranging her body to fight easier, keeping one wing hiding her at all times. Undertaker stepped forward and saw the black-clad body tense to strike.

He surprised the demon by planting his scythe in the ruined earth.

The reaper was slow as he unbuttoned his coat, making sure not to move too suddenly and spoke the beast in front of him. A growl came from the darkness as he hung the coat on his scythe and pulled the various weapons off his person. For once, the man pulled his silver hair away from his eyes.

"I would like to tell you story this time, free of charge." He stepped forward cautiously, his hands held up to show that he carried nothing. A softer growl filled the air, but the demon didn't move. "Once upon a time, there was a grim reaper. He was excellent at his job and had a talent for fighting. During his early years, there was a war between the demons and the reapers. Just as it does humans, war hardened him to almost everything. He reaped countless souls, killed demons and even a few of their mates."

The demon snarled.

"He became cold, finding no enjoyment in anything, and went about carrying out his orders without thought or emotion. Until one day, he met a child. The little girl's mother had been ill for a very long time and the reaper came to collect her soul one bright afternoon."

Undertaker continued forward, finally stopping a few feet away from the demon.

"The little girl knew what he was and thanked him with tears running down her face, even though she would have nothing and no one after her mother's death. But, her beloved mother had been in pain for as long as the girl could remember. She knew that her mother would die and the child was frightened that she would have had to go into the dark alone."

He knelt next to the two in the shadows of a tree.

"He realized that this child had known the true purpose of grim reapers when he had forgotten it long ago. It is a truth that many of the reapers today have yet to realize. To make sure that no soul goes into the dark to find their way alone." Undertaker noticed a little awareness begin to leech back into the demon's eyes and nodded. "A few, short years later, the girl had grown into a lovely young woman, who was always laughing. The reaper had made certain that she was taken care of after her mother's death and came to visit her quite frequently. The only time he was happy was when he came to see her. As she matured, he decided that when she was old enough, he would ask her to marry him. It was not unheard of for reapers to take human spouses.

"One day, her name and picture appeared in his book."

Undertaker looked to sky and sighed before coming back to the demon. "The reaper decided that he would do something that went against everything that the reapers stood for, the most forbidden to all reapers. He knew that he couldn't stop her death, but after, he would keep her soul. The young woman had meaning to him and he thought of the countless other he had delivered as ordered. Surely, after all the years, all the battles, all the service, he could keep just one. The universe would not deny him this one soul. He could find her another body to inhabit and the future that he had envisioned would be back on track."

Undertaker let his hair fall back over his eyes as a tear fell down his cheek.

"But he was mistaken. You can't force a soul into another body. It wasn't long after he had hidden her that things started to go wrong. Her soul twisted and warped. It...corrupted before his eyes, leeching up all the darkness in himself. Finally, the reaper went to the Council. He told them what he had done and begged them to help him. He begged on his knees for them to fix his mistake. But, he had kept silent too long. There was no way to fix it. And in the end, he was forced to destroy every trace of the soul that he loved. She paid the price for a decision that she had no part of."

The demon's head shot up from stroking the woman's hair. The reaper could see more awareness in his eyes.

"As the pieces of her shattered soul drifted away, he heard her laugh again and promised that he would find something to laugh at every day." He sighed and pointed to the red head. "That is what you would do to her."

"No!" Sebastian pulled her against him, hiding Serena's body from the reaper. "I'm a demon. I keep souls all the time. It would be different."

"You would hold something in your fist until you ground it to dust."

"No." Black tears fell into the red hair.

"Then you have to let her move on."

"But...she's mine." The demon whispered desperately.

"And you have to be the one to let her go." Undertaker stood and went back to his deathscythe. He saw another in the shadows and waved them to stay back.

When he returned, he saw the demon's unnecessary breathing speed up as he stared at the scythe. Clawed fingers stroked her skin and didn't notice the cuts he made in his wake.

"Elder," Undertaker pointed to the delicate tears in the girl's flesh. Sebastian ripped his hand away and stared at the blood under his fingernails. His hand fisted, trying to hide what it had done.

The reaper waited patiently as the demon still held his mate. Finally, the Elder closed his eyes and held out the body. Undertaker knelt down and carefully made a small cut in her chest. Reels of film sprung up from the scythe's wound and began to play.

Both watched as a small red head played in a park alone, waded into a little creek alone to catch tadpoles, read stories to herself as the sounds of arguing filled her home, and looked out a classroom window while other children ignored her. They watched as she began drawing those around her. Each piece becoming better, more lifelike than the one before. They saw her older, not even bothering to look at other people anymore. Gaining the nickname the 'Ice Princess.' Finally, some of her classmates starting to notice her. They saw the boy Brandon and how she had grabbed at the chance to be included. They saw the aftermath, the rumors, the disgusted looks and how she retreated back into herself, ignoring them all. College and the chance for escape it offered. Her scholarship gained through her artwork. The other artists that were nowhere near as good trying to get close to feed off her talent.

The scenes shifted to the Phantomhive manor. People who didn't want anything from her but still wanted her around. They watched as she poked Ciel with a smile, laughed with Soma, gave advice to Lizzy, giggled with Mei-Rin over something stupid and girly, gave Bard and Finny something to do, asked Snake about his pets. Sebastian watched her conversation with his Master about breaking their contract and Undertaker laughed. They watched her frustration and anger at the demon and the happiness she felt around him. They felt the same peace and safety she always felt around Sebastian.

Finally, the film showed her conversation with the reapers, the sound of the shot and seemed to end. The reaper made to stand when it started again. A bench in Hyde Park and an older gentleman. They watched her figure out who had sat next to her and the demon gasped as the man told her that she had been sent to distract him from Ciel Phantomhive.

 _'But, I couldn't do it. This is what Ciel wants.'_ For the first time, they heard Serena speak through her record.

 _'Then I'll just have to think of something else.'_

Sebastian snarled at the voice she had heard when the man shot her. The film ended again and stayed black. Undertaker held out his scythe to collect the record but the film didn't go to it. Instead, it rolled into itself, forming a glowing ball that was suspended above the body. It floated gently to Sebastian and took form once more.

The demon gasped as she touched his cheek, but the fingers were cold, not warm. Serena smiled sadly and pulled away. He tried to grab her arm but his hand passed through her. The girl turned and disappeared.

Black wings closed around the two figures, hiding them from view. Undertaker walked to his coat, leaving the grieving demon to himself. As he folded his scythe back into its smaller form, Haagenti stepped from the shadows to meet him.

"I'm glad that you called me. There are some who would love to have this to hold over him."

"They will still know."

"Yes, but they will not have seen this moment of weakness for themselves."

"I'll tell Spears and Knox to keep their mouths shut." Undertaker looked back to Sebastian. The demon still hadn't taken on his human form again. "Leave them for a while."

"I cannot. He'll sit there for the rest of eternity if you let him."

The reaper bowed to the Elder and walked in the direction of the manor. His services would be needed soon.

Haagenti made sure that the younger heard him coming. The wings shifted just enough to let him see the two of them. He stayed out of striking range just to be safe. His gaze moved to the body still held by the other demon. The Elder allowed a small amount of pity through his defense as he looked at the girl who had been brave enough to smack his hand away at their meeting. The same bravery to accept a demon of wrath after catching a glimpse of what he could do.

"Boy."

There was no answer, but Haagenti had seen the small jerk of Sebastian's body.

"Your master is getting awfully loud."

Sebastian snorted but still said nothing.

"Come now, didn't you make your mate a promise?" He saw Sebastian close his eyes again, his hand moving to stroke red hair. "Get up, Boy. I'm not going away."

The younger demon snarled and stood, ready to attack.

"That's right. Stand up and fight. I did not teach you to be weak. I did not teach you to fall to pieces when something doesn't work out. I taught you to survive. And you will." Haagenti sighed as the wings folded into Sebastian's body and leather was replaced by linen. "Good. There is nothing to do now, but move forward."

"But..."

"The past and regrets will get you nowhere. Move forward, always. Now, you made a promise to your mate and you will keep it. A demon does not lie. A demon does not go back on their word. Honestly, we're not those pathetic humans. You made a promise to two people, and your Master is calling. Answer it." He pointed in the direction of the house.

Sebastian nodded and turned to the manor, Serena still in his arms.

"Do you think that little speech will work?" One of the Reaper's Council members stepped out of the dark and to Haagenti's side.

"It will get him past this moment." The Elder looked to the reaper. "I hope this reminds you why we put that communication clause into the treaty. Undertaker is correct, the Elders should have been informed as soon as Serena's name appeared in your little log book."

"This human had an unusual way of becoming close to monsters. We feared that if you had been told, one of you would try to stop it."

"It is true that demons protect each others mates. Even a member of an enemy house would give a token defense. However, we agreed that should a name appear on the list, we would do nothing. We are far more adapt at deals than you all." The Elder raised an eyebrow. "I hope you remember what almost happened here the next time that you think that you can handle a grieving Elder."

"Could it really have been that serious?"

"He's the most powerful demon I ever trained. I'm certain that there are some who could beat him, but not many. Even I was relieved when he choose to leave my house peacefully. Most demons have slipped into complacency as they have aged, but that boy is still filled with fire. He's still as driven as the day I saw him fight in the pits. It is what made him one of the youngest Elders to get their wings. You don't want to see a driven Elder wish for nothing but death and destruction. If Undertaker had not been able to calm him," he held up a small, perfect ball of stone. Characters began to glow red on it's surface. "I would have had to call upon the Fallen to take him down."

The reaper bowed his head. "I will inform the other Council members and we will all remember this in the future."

**********************A Demon's Mate*********************

Ciel looked around him as the shaking stopped just as quickly as it had started. He could see Frances and Lizzy starting to relax but Soma still stared around him, his eyes wide as though waiting for some kind of attack. His fiancé moved to sit next to the prince, hoping to calm him a little. His ever present security blanket, otherwise known as Agni, had yet to reappear from the depths of the tunnel.

 _'Maybe this will cut down on his surprise visits to the manor.'_ The Earl snorted as he looked away. _'I know that was Sebastian. Serena must have calmed him down again. But, what set that demon off in the first place?'_

The passage opened and Tanaka's smiling, wrinkled face appeared.

"Lord Phantomhive, the disturbance has passed." He bowed to the noble.

"Did they make it into the house?"

"No, my lord." Tanaka stepped out of the way as Ciel strode from the room. Frances and Lizzy pulled a still shaking Soma from the small room and followed the Earl into the hall. All of them stared at the shattered chandelier and broken tiles beneath it.

"Damages."

"Only to the garden, my lord. Those and the small things that fell during the earthquake are all easily fixed."

"Where is Sebastian?"

"We have not seen him, Lord Phantomhive. There were two sets of footprints leading into the woods, I believe he is retrieving Miss Serena, as you ordered."

Agni popped out of the hidden room and went to his Prince's side. "There is no fighting taking place at the end of the tunnel, Lord Phantomhive. It does go quite a ways from the house."

"Good."

"We should be on our way then." Frances spoke up from her daughter's side. "Tanaka and the others can get this cleaned up while we are gone."

"No." Ciel went into the salon that overlooked the garden. The others followed him. "We're not leaving until Serena is back in the house. Stupid girl, she's probably still arguing with Sebastian."

"I will prepare tea while you wait." Tanaka bowed to the room as the earl went to the patio door.

Ciel saw Bard coming through the rose bushes below the balcony's edge. Opening the door, he slipped outside easily.

"Bard."

"Yes, sir!" The former solider saluted out of habit.

Ciel ignored the man's antics. "Report."

"They were a small team, sir, moved carefully through the woods on the east side. We found several of our traps there had been disabled." Bard looked back. "If it hadn't been for that first shot, we wouldn't have heard them until they reached the garden, where Snake's pets would have been able to sense them."

"Find out how they discovered each alarm and change it. Someone may have been able to go back the way they came and we don't want that information to still be valid."

"Yes. Sir?"

"What is it?"

"Everyone knows that you were going to the Midford's ball tonight. And when you left, you would have gone to the west. We found heavy tracks like they had been waiting in the woods for some time."

"They were waiting for us to leave." Ciel crossed his arms as he thought. "Whatever they were after, it wasn't me."

"That's what I was thinking."

"Have you seen Sebastian?"

"No, sir."

"He was out here, looking for Serena when it started."

"I wouldn't be worried about Sebastian, sir. He can handle this. And I'm sure that Miss Serena is with him."

As Ciel nodded, a small light flitted through the darkness. He heard Lizzy and the others come out of the door behind him while he watched the ball of light weave and bob in the soft, night wind, slowly making it's way to the house. The dread that had been pooling in his stomach all night made his guts churn as the light came closer.

It stopped in front of the Earl. Unconsciously, Ciel held his hand out and the ball drifted into the cradle of his black glove. The light winked out and he felt someone wrap their arms around his shoulders. The normal aversion to being touched came up and he turned his face to see Serena's by his shoulder. Her eyes were sad as she kissed his cheek and the Earl shivered at the cold of her lips.

"Despite the consequences, I hope you find what you're looking for." The girl smiled sadly and pulled away. "Goodbye, Ciel."

The girl disappeared, the small ball of light taking her place. The group watched as it drifted on the wind, back to the forest.

"I'm going to go look for them." Bard turned and started down the pathway that led to the woods. Pebbles kicked up in his wake as he stopped. "The first shot."

The soldier threw his cigarette down as they all noticed the black figure emerging from the garden's edge, an unmoving body in his arms and a small trail of blood behind him.

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Sebastian made his way back to the manor in a fog. The demon didn't notice much of his surroundings as he carried his mate through the snow covered trees. There was only the rapidly chilling weight in his arms. As they approached the break in the trees, he noticed the same ball of light of Serena's soul coming back.

He recognized the man from her cinematic record leaning against the trunk of a large tree. Dressed in the same suit as in Hyde Park and holding the same cane, he held out a gloved hand and the soul floated down to it. Rage welled within the demon when eyes of the clearest blue turned to him. He held the soul while Sebastian carried nothing but an empty, already decaying shell. The man said nothing, only acknowledged the misery that cloaked the demon with a nod before disappearing.


	29. Chapter 29

Author's Note: Wow, I finally made it to chapter 29, mainly because Kat and Nikolai have stopped fighting me tooth and nail. On a morbid note... I found that families in the 1800s would normally keep their dead in their home for viewing. I never could find anything definitive on how a noble family would handle a funeral, we'll go with what I could find.

Now, it's time to bring Serena back into this crazy mess.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and the demons that I introduce. Oh, and the other O.C.s

WARNING: MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF JUMPING AROUND. Seriously, you might get a little dizzy.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Twenty Nine

Serena felt a tapping on her jaw and tried to moved her head away. She started to hear voices and was confused as to who would be in her bedroom. Memories flooded her mind; a burning pain through her chest, blood...Sebastian's panic-filled face, and her eyes shot open. Her hands went straight to her chest, searching for a bloody wound as she gasped in panic.

There wasn't a single mark or blemish on her pale skin. The red head looked down at her favorite black dress that she had worn to the theater, what felt like ages ago.

"Are you alright?"

Serena looked up to see a man kneeling next to her. The suit he wore was familiar, as was the hairstyle, but the face looking at her was all wrong. Black eyes, instead of crimson, watched her carefully from a face with Asian features instead of European. Still confused, she looked around and saw the sky-high buildings and bustling streets of Tokyo in summer, instead of the frozen forest of Southern England.

 _'What...Why am I back here?'_

She saw the staff of the theater holding back a crowd that had gathered on street near where she laid. The man in the Sebastian costume looked over his shoulder and she realized he was asking if there was anyone who spoke English.

"I speak Japanese."

H looked back, obviously surprised. "I'm sorry. When you didn't answer me before, I thought that you didn't know what I was saying."

"No, I just..." She put a hand to her head. "Brains are a little scrambled."

"I'm so sorry. We're running behind tonight and the stage hands...were just running."

"That will teach me not to stop on a sidewalk." Serena rubbed the back of her head and felt a lump.

"Serena!" A girl in the crowd yelled and tried to get through the row of people that were pushing the crowd back. She was the same height as the red head, but obviously a native. The girl wore a blue dress with a matching blue stripe running through her short, black bob. Another girl behind her stood behind her in bright yellow, holding onto the arm of a man only slightly taller than her. Her hair was lighter, more of a dark brown and held up in a clip. All three were trying to talk to the staff and convince the men to let them through.

"Serena?"

"That's me. I'm pretty sure it is, anyway."

"Matsushita Yuya. It's nice to meet you." He scratched the back of his head with a laugh. "Well, it would have been if you hadn't cracked your head."

Matsushita helped her stand and waved the other three through. "Are you sure that you're alright?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

"I'll leave you to your friends then."

Serena smiled, trying to cover her confusion. "Thank you for helping me."

"You're very welcome and I apologize again." The actor disappeared with some of the staff back into the building with a last look over his shoulder.

The two girls came to her side as the man spoke with someone from the theater. They took an arm each as if the red head couldn't stand on her own.

"Akiko, really I'm fine."

The girl with the blue stripe still held onto her arm. "You're fine?! You just got run over by a metal cart, knocked your head against the side of a building, passed out and you're trying to tell me that you're fine?"

"Yes." Serena took her arm back and rubbed a hand over her chest where she was sure a bullet had passed. Akiko put a hand into the red hair and appeared to be feeling along her scalp before her hand was slapped away. "Jeez, Shougo call off your crazy girlfriend."

"You should know that's impossible." He walked over to them with a smile on his face. "The staff is going to let us go in early so that Serena can sit down."

"Really, I just want to go back to the apartment. I think that my brain could use a rest."

"Oh, come on!" The brunette, Izumi, pulled on the red head's arm. "You're leaving in a few days and they're sold out for the rest of the run. You know you want to see it. Once we get you sat down and the show starts, you'll feel better in no time."

Serena sighed. There was no way to get Izumi off a subject once she dug her feet in.

"Alright, alright."

*********************A Demon's Mate********************

Ciel didn't hear his aunt's gasp or Lizzy's crying. He didn't hear Bard's curse or Agni's prayers or Finny's blubbering. He didn't even feel the stairs under his feet as he went to meet Sebastian at the bottom. The demon stopped before his Master, saying nothing. His hand moved without his knowledge, touching the white cheek that had already become as cold as the night around them.

"What... But... How...?"

"I was too late."

Francis handed her daughter off to Soma, letting them hold each other as they cried. At the bottom of the stairs, she laid a hand on Ciel's shoulder before looking to Sebastian.

"Bring her inside, Sebastian. Mei-Rin and I will get her cleaned up."

The maid lifted her head at her name and nodded. The demon remained still, looking at his Master. Finally, Ciel dropped his hand and moved to the side. He soon realized that his butler wouldn't move without a command.

"Follow her, Sebastian."

The demon nodded and walked behind Lady Francis into the house. Lizzy and Soma looked up as they passed, but started crying again. Tanaka and Snake bowed as the sad procession passed them into the house.

Francis led them past the remains of the chandelier, up the stairs and into Serena's room and instructed Sebastian to take her into the bathroom. She went in first, placing a towel over the mirror. He waited until Ciel repeated the order, before laying the red head on the bench in the small room and straightening.

"Go to your room for now, Sebastian. There is nothing for you to do here."

The demon bowed, taking one last look at his mate's blooded body before leaving the room. Ciel followed, closing the door behind himself. Tanaka and Snake waited in the hallway. Sebastian passed them without a word, going through the door at the end of the hall.

"Tanaka, the mirrors in the house need to be covered and the drapes closed."

"Of course, Lord Phantomhive. It will be taken care of immediately."

"And call Undertaker."

"Yes, sir. I will also inform the Midford estate of what has happened, so they will not expect you tonight."

The Earl nodded and started to walk away.

"What about Sebastian, says Wordsworth." Snake was still staring after the butler.

"Leave him be for now."

*******************A Demon's Mate*********************

The flashing lights and music weren't helping the migraine that was trying to pound her eyes out their sockets one bit. But, it was her own confusion that occupied most of Serena's thoughts.

 _'I died, didn't I? Or did I dream it all? Izumi said that she saw me go down as she was walking to the theater. I didn't go anywhere and I was only out for a minute before Matsushita got there. There is nothing wrong with me, other than the migraine. My ribs are fine, my ankle's fine and there isn't a single mark to suggest that anything happened to me at all.'_

The actors on stage caught her attention every now and then, bringing her out of her thoughts and making her laugh despite herself. Especially Grell. The song the actor sang dancing around in lingerie, red of course, was hilarious. Until she thought about it. Every time the actor flirted with someone on stage, she wondered if the real Grell would still flirt with Sebastian, now that she wasn't there to stand in the way.

Surprisingly, the thought made her angry.

Still, Serena found herself laughing when the reapers danced and Sebastian sang for Undertaker. But, the funny was over. The red head could tell that they were moving toward the end. The reaper killing for souls had been identified and Ciel, with his faithful Sebastian, was speeding toward the confrontation. Many times watching the actor Ciel and Sebastian, she felt that it was wrong. Their humor wasn't cutthroat enough, the connection between the Earl and his demon butler missing. In the end, it really didn't matter. The musical was entertainment.

 _'And I don't even know if what I saw was real.'_

**********************A Demon's Mate*********************

Undertaker waited at the edge of the Phantomhive gardens. He felt the demonic presence still lurking about and wasn't ready to make his appearance in the manor quite yet. He was watching the house when Haagenti came up behind him.

"I didn't expect you to hang around."

"Sebastian has transformed, and suffered a massive emotional toll. His body will shut down for a while soon. That boy doesn't even realize that we are still here. I will remain until he reawakens." The Elder didn't take his eyes from the large house as he spoke.

"I thought that demons did not have emotions, yet you seem to be awful attached to Mr. Butler." Undertaker seemed to have regained his humor and laughed into his sleeve.

"He is the only Elder that I have trained, as such, every aspect of his training was with myself. Now, that he is an Elder, with a house of his own, he is one of my greatest allies. Allies work together. I will watch over his holdings while he is unable to."

"I see, forgive the presumption."

"You don't know as much as you think you do, Undertaker. I hope that you will remember that demons are secretive by nature and there is much that no being other than demons will ever know about us." Haagenti's glowing eyes slid to the other ancient.

"Of course," the reaper laughed. "I think that it is about time to make my grand entrance. I'll bid you farewell."

Haagenti bowed and waited for Undertaker to start off before turning behind him. There were people moving through the woods, making their way toward the great house. He flared his power and felt them pull back. Minutes of being in the presence of the Elder's power, the men went back the way that they had come, almost too easily.

 _'Surely that boy has noticed. These humans are more like slaves. They carry the scent of another demon's power.'_

**********************A Demon's Mate*********************

Sebastian walked into his bedroom to see nothing out of place, as usual. The room reflected nothing of the past hour and a sudden desire to smash everything came over the demon. It was a faint fragrance that drifted on the air that stopped him. The scent of his mate that had been left in the room and he remembered that he had not yet changed the sheets with the commotion that had happened today.

The demon slid onto the mattress and found the majority of the scent coming from the pillow Serena had used the night before. He curled himself around the bedding. Lost in his misery, Sebastian didn't feel his own body shut down.

**********************A Demon's Mate********************

Serena found her attention drawn back to the stage again when Matsushita began singing Hallucination. At the end of the short song, she felt a tear run down her cheek as the lyrics made her think of Ciel and Sebastian. Mired in memories that were making her head hurt worse, the girl didn't notice anything around her until the lights came back on. She looked toward her friends and they were all engrossed in a discussion about the play.

 _'Left out again. This is normal. There is no doubt about it, it was just a dream. I never went back in time. The Phantomhives don't exist. They are just some figment of a mangaka's imagination that I think about way too much. There are no demons or reapers. I'm still the same. I was never shot. I was never loved by a demon or cared about by a moody Earl. I never walked the streets of Victorian London. I never felt at home in that crazy house. It was nothing more than a hallucination brought on by hitting my head. I should be relieved.'_ She looked down at her hands in her lap. _'Why didn't I just go home? I don't want to be here. My head is killing me and I would rather be where I could wallow in my misery, alone.'_

A hand landed on her shoulder and Serena gasped. Black nails led up a pale arm, she took in the black leather pants and fishnet top. A leather collar circled the man's neck and several, thin chains hung down on his chest. Piercings winked from his lip, nose and eyebrow while there were several studs in both ears. His black hair was much shorter than she remembered, spiked up around his head as he smiled down at her.

"I don't know about you but seeing that tight-ass, William T. Spears, do the splits was definitely worth the ticket price."

"Teo!?"

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Shock still numbed Ciel as he sat in the salon with Lizzy and Soma. The silence was broken by some kind of noise in the main hall and at first he thought it was the servants cleaning up the chandelier. However, the raised voice clearly didn't fit clean up.

Agni was helping Tanaka prepare tea in the kitchen. Leaving Ciel walking in the direction of the disturbance. With Sebastian out of commission, the other servants were still not sure of what to do. Thankfully, Tanaka could be trusted to keep the house together and Snake had proven to be a quick study as the butler's helper. Neither of them stood at the door however.

Bard was holding the front door open, letting the frosty air through the portal and Ciel could hear someone laughing. A flash of silver hair made the teen shake his head.

"Undertaker, stop pestering my servants."

"But, I can't help it. He's just so easy." The mortician laughed into his sleeve at the rising irritation on Bard's face.

"Listen here, you bloody loon!" The chef got in Undertaker's face, ignoring the snickering that was only getting louder.

"Bardroy! Go help Tanaka."

"But..."

"Just go!"

"Yes, sir." The former soldier ground out before giving the mortician one last glare and stalking back toward the kitchen, anger radiating from him with every step.

"But I'll need someone to help me carry, little Earl."

"Undertaker, I would appreciate you not needling anyone right now. Including myself. I don't know why you still call me that." Ciel rubbed his forehead. "What are you doing here anyway? The trip from London would take longer so you can't have known that someone died."

"Anger is better than despair. As for what I'm doing here, I'm well aware that Miss Serena has moved on and that you could use my services this evening."

"How do you...? Oh, never mind."

"Undertaker, you're already here?" Lady Francis had changed out of her costume and was followed down the stairs by a silent Mei-Rin.

"I was in the area," He said with a smile.

The marchioness looked suspicious, but growing up in the Phantomhive family had taught her not to question some things. Undertaker's uncanny ability to know what he shouldn't being one of them.

**********************A Demon's Mate*********************

"Serena!" Shougo grabbed the girl's arm when she shot up from her seat. "What's wrong?"

"I thought I saw someone I...I have to go." The red head bolted into the aisle, following the spiked black hair out of the theater. She lost track of the times that she said sorry for pushing and shoving past people. It seemed as though every person that she pushed past, another two sprung up between herself and the demon. "Teo! Teo, wait!"

The crowd swallowed the short girl for a moment and Serena lost sight of her quarry. Panic set in and she pushed faster to get out of the building. Bursting into the street, she looked one direction and then the other. The tall demon was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn!" Serena stomped the ground, still looking.

"Serena?" Shougo grabbed her arm again, jerking the girl around to face him. She winced at the pressure and he loosened up. "Sorry, but what the hell's going on?"

She looked over his shoulder before letting out a sigh. "I thought that I saw someone that I knew."

"Okay. That's why you ran over half a theater of people?"

Serena jerked her arm away. "It was somebody important."

Akiko got between the two, pushing Shougo back.

"It's fine. Why don't we all go grab something to eat?" The girl smiled. "The night's still young."

"I'm just going to go back to the apartment. My head is really killing me. I'll see you guys later." The red head turned, paying no attention to their protests. As she walked away, Serena pretended not to hear the rest of the conversation behind her.

"That girl is weird."

Izumi smacked the man with her purse. "Shut up! I don't care how weird she is. Serena is the key to getting into the New York Institute. It's only for another couple days."

Shougo slung an arm over Akiko. "Fine. Whatever you say."

"You shouldn't have done that." One of the beings on the rooftop watched as the little red head broke off from the rest of the group. "Tokyo's Elder will not be pleased that you approached her."

"You know that you wanted to. Besides, you could always smooth it over. Gusion isn't your Elder or mine, but he listens to you." Teo grew serious for a moment. "She was getting ready to regulate the whole damn thing into the fantasy box. I could see it on her face."

"Gusion is the Elder for any who enter his territory. And what makes you think that I would help you?" The other demon pointed to the human man with the group. "He put his hand on an Elder's mate."

"He should be taught some manners."

The two demons smirked at each other, both their eyes shining with an evil light, before disappearing into the shadows.

*************************A Demon's Mate***********************

Ciel admitted defeat against in the battle to sleep. Serena's smiling face appeared every time he tried to close his eyes, followed by the image of her body, covered in blood. He slid his eyepatch on and grabbed his robe from the end of the bed, wishing for the days when his manor had been empty except for Sebastian and himself, and he hadn't had to worry about anyone seeing his contract seal.

 _'I didn't think that death bothered me so much anymore.'_

The house was quiet, but he knew everyone was still awake. The door to Francis' room was open and when he passed Lizzy's, the Earl could hear the two women moving around inside. Darkness enveloped the house but after hours of lying in the same dark, he needed no candle to find his way downstairs. The door to the salon was open and a small bit of light could be seen from the banked fireplace.

Undertaker had offered to sit with Serena until morning and give everyone a chance to rest, so Ciel was surprised to see neither hide nor hair of the silver-haired man. Instead, Sebastian was standing in front of the coffin that had been set up by the windows.

"You should be sleeping, Master."

"That is not likely happen."

The demon nodded and both stood in silence, staring at the red head. Undertaker had done a good job hiding the bullet wound. If he hadn't seen it himself, Ciel wouldn't have known that it was there. The plain, white dress blended into the sea of white flowers that filled the coffin, unbroken until he saw the small, black purse that Bard and Finny had found so long ago sitting at her feet.

Her hands held nothing, as the mortician had decided against giving her a rosary to carry. Ciel was struck by how wrong it seemed. The Earl moved to the bottom of the coffin and opened the small bag. He was aware of Sebastian watching him as he pushed things out of the way to see the bottom.

He pulled out a thin chain, a compass pendant hanging from it. Ciel stared at it and started to laugh.

"Master?"

"It's just, I remember when Serena got so upset because we went through her purse." He saw the small smile that graced the demon's face for a moment before it disappeared.

Sebastian took the necklace from his Master and carefully threaded it through the cold fingers. Ciel nodded when he was finished. As his butler straightened, the Earl felt the familiar, cold burn of anger flow through his veins.

"What happened?" Ciel was slightly shaking as he stared at the other man.

"I was too late," He answered simply, not taking his eyes from the coffin.

"Too late!? Why didn't you sense them on the property?"

"I do not know, Master."

"How did they get so close?" The Earl got closer, his hands fisted at his side.

"I do not know, Master."

"How could you let this happen?!" Ciel shouted and the demon finally turned to look at him.

"I...I..."

Ciel slapped Sebastian. The demon snarled and bared his teeth but the human wasn't about to back down. His anger was too great, eclipsing his fear of the being before him.

"What are you two doing?"

Both men turned to see Lady Francis holding a candlestick. She had been prepared for bed as well, wearing a heavy dressing gown and her hair loose. It took a moment for Ciel to recognize that he was looking at his strict and proper aunt completely unguarded.

"Nothing, Lady Francis." Sebastian bowed and turned back to his dead mate.

"Honestly, have you two no shame? Fighting over the casket." She looked between the two of them but neither would meet her eyes. Finally, the older woman sighed. "You two should get some sleep. I will contact Father Matthew in the morning."

"No. There is no need for that." Ciel moved from his place and headed for the door. He could feel the argument that his aunt was gearing up for and found that he just didn't have the energy to listen to her anymore. To face any of them anymore.

"Ciel, she deserves a proper funeral. And as much as you hate it, that means a church service and burial."

"Funerals are not for the dead. They are for the living. And Serena's living do not want a church service. She'll be buried here, so there is no need to involve Father Matthew at all." He didn't wait for an answer before walking out and leaving the two beside the coffin.

"You encourage this." Francis hissed at the butler.

"Not at all, my lady. My master's views on religion and the church are his own. The fact that his beliefs mirror mine is only a coincidence."

The lady glared at Sebastian for a moment before following out the door with a huff. In the distance, he heard the bell ring from the church at the outskirts of London. The demon took off his glove and ran a finger over his mate's cold cheek.

"Happy New Year, my mate."

***************A Demon's Mate**************

Serena woke the next morning still tired. After leaving her group, the girl had walked around for a while, hoping that Teo would reappear when she was alone. But, there had been nothing. She didn't deny that she had felt like someone was watching her, but regulated that to wishful thinking. By the time she had caught the last train, depression had sunk in. The darkened apartment gave her hope again as she could have sworn she left the light in her bedroom on, but it was empty. After searching, the red head crawled into her bed without even taking off her dress.

The bright light streaming in through the window and highlighted the wreck that appeared in her mirror. Hair was sticking up at all angles, mascara had run down her cheeks where she had been crying in her sleep, her dress was twisted, her eyes were bloodshot and the pillow had made creases in her face. She found, staring at herself, she really didn't care.

The apartment was just as empty as last night. Akiko was known to sleep at Shougo's when there wasn't an assignment due, so it wasn't so surprising.

 _'I bet Lizzy wouldn't have left me here alone if I had run off on her.'_

Serena shook her head and went to the bathroom. Showering was robotic and left her time to think as she washed her hair. Wondering what happened to everyone, how they took her death. Did they even miss her? Why had Teo shown up at the theater and not Sebastian?

 _'Maybe he's given up on me. I was an awful lot of trouble for him and we did argue a lot. No, I remember his face after I had been shot. But a hundred or so years is a lot of time. Maybe he found someone else.'_

Horribly depressed again, the red head stepped out of the shower and pulled a towel around herself. She wiped the mist from the mirror and looked into it automatically. She gasped as another face appeared in the glass. Her hand went to her rapidly beating heart as Sebastian came closer, his head next to hers. Swirling red eyes met hers through the mirror.

"My mate."

Serena whirled around, but there was no demon in the room with her. She looked back to the mirror but hers was the only face reflected in it.

**********************A Demon's Mate*********************

Francis had acted on her own and when Ciel came down for breakfast, dressed in black, Father Matthew was waiting at the table with his aunt. Undertaker had stayed the night and was waiting as well, to see fireworks. The reaper giggled as he awaited the Earl's reaction to his uninvited guest, and the fact that the priest was seated in Serena's chair. Sebastian's perfect demeanor never changed but Ciel could see him watch the priest carefully, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. The rest of the servants, minus Snake who was sitting with Serena, were standing in their places, also dressed in black.

He had just reached his seat, glaring at Lady Francis the length of the room, when Soma and Agni entered the room. Both men were dressed in white and the Englishmen were slightly taken aback by their choice. Ciel opened his mouth to say something when Undertaker interrupted.

"It is customary in India to wear white instead of black, when attending a funeral. White represents spirituality, truth and purity. It's a sign of respect for the deceased." The mortician giggled when Soma jumped behind Agni. The Prince peered from behind his servant at the creepy man.

"Who is this?"

"This is Undertaker. He's overseeing the funeral." Ciel waved Soma to his seat before taking his own. Sebastian set a cup of tea in front of him but waited to serve the meal until the last guest arrived.

Elizabeth came into the room, her head down, not noticing the men stand. The table heard a sob and she darted back out the door. Soma looked to Ciel but the Earl shook his head and sat back down. After a moment, Lizzy came back in with her head up and went quickly to her chair. She was surprised at Father Matthew's presence and smiled at the man who looked a little wary being seated next to the Earl and his looming butler.

"Good morning." She tried to smile at the table before looking back down at her plate.

Ciel waved for the butler to serve, seeming to be perfectly calm. But, Undertaker could see the explosion waiting beneath the surface.

"Ciel, you could at least welcome your guest." Francis looked up from her plate and returned her nephew's glare.

"I'm sorry, Lady Midford. I was under the impression that he was your guest."

"It is your home."

"Really? I wasn't aware that you knew that, with how you invite people into my home."

"Lord Phantomhive," the priest coughed. "I am well aware of your stance in regards to the church. However, I had hoped that this would be a situation in which you could look past that, at least for a little while."

Lizzy looked between the two men, waiting for the fight that she could feel brewing. Ciel had raised the eyebrow that was showing and stared at the priest. The room could feel the tension and waited for the Earl to throw a tantrum. He surprised them all when he smile.

"You're right, Father Matthew. I apologize that you have been put in this position by my aunt's calling on you. However, this is still my home and my butler will be happy to show you out of it at any time."

Sebastian was smiling behind his Master.

"Ciel," The blonde put a hand on her fiancé's arm. "I think that he should stay."

Lizzy jerked at the glare both Earl and butler shot her.

Undertaker's laugh broke the staring match, turning all the glares on himself.

********************A Demon's Mate******************

Akiko arrived shortly after Serena's strange encounter and reminded the red head that she had promised to go with them to the local temple's summer festival. After trying to get out of it for over an hour, she finally realized that her roommate wasn't going to be denied and went to get dressed. In her room, Serena allowed herself a minute to throw a small tantrum. Digging roughly through her small closet and not finding a thing she wanted to wear, a little scream of frustration bubbled up.

When she turned around, her favorite maxi dress was laying across the bed. Serena looked around the room but there was no one with her. She touched the dress carefully, as though something was going to jump out at her.

 _'I know that I didn't pull that out.'_

"Sebastian?"

There was no answer and the girl wanted to cry.

"If this is you, it's not funny." She ripped the robe she was wearing off and threw it across the room. Picking up the dress, she looked at the pretty green that set off her skin and hair. It was made of a soft material that kept it comfortable while still looking nice. In difference to the heat, she pulled her mass of red hair into a braid and wrapped it up in a bun on the back of her head.

The trio was waiting in the main room and stood as soon as she entered.

"See, now doesn't it feel better to be getting out of this tiny apartment and going to venture into the city?" Izumi smiled. "And I love this dress."

Serena stood still and let the other girl touch the fabric. Even though she felt a little sick at the heat of someone else's touch.

 _'The only attachment that you are meant to have is to me and I am all that you will need.'_

Sebastian's voice flitted through her mind as she carefully stepped away from the other girl and went to the entryway.

"This festival is great. You're going to love it." Akiko assured the red head as they headed out the door.

The streets were just as crowded as normal. As they reached the more public roads, tourists began to join the throngs of people. Serena was surprised at how irritating the sounds around her were. The mechanical sound of traffic, construction a few streets away, and music from several phones going off at the same time. All of it was deafening and started a new headache.

 _'Why didn't my head hurt earlier?'_

She reached up and touched her scalp, feeling for the lump that had been there last night. There wasn't trace of it.

"Serena, there's the temple." Shougo pointed to a set of stairs that started beneath a Toro gate. She frowned at the bandage that covered his arm from wrist to elbow.

"What happened to you?"

"It's the weirdest thing." He looked down at his arm. "Akiko and I were headed back to my place and this wind came out of nowhere. It knocked me into an exhaust grate and burned my arm."

"An exhaust grate?"

"Yeah, it wasn't even supposed to be running last night but it was still hot." The man shrugged and looked ahead again. "It's not that bad. Of course, it could be the pain killers and the strange goo they slapped on it at the hospital."

At the top of the stairs, Serena heard a car backfire and looked over her shoulder. She was struck by the view of the streets. An idea popped into her head and the girl pulled a small notebook and pen from the bag over her shoulder. Jotting down her idea, she didn't notice the others stop to watch her.

"Whatcha doing?" Akiko smiled at her but something in her eyes made Serena suspicious as she slid the book back into her bag.

"Just something I remembered that I wanted to tell my mom. My memory isn't the greatest and I don't want to forget."

"Oh, well we should into the grounds. They have tours of the gardens that will blow your socks off."

*****************A Demon's Mate**************

Sebastian and Ciel surprised everyone by staying quiet as Father Matthew prayed over Serena's coffin at the grave site. The priest ended his little service and went to stand next to Lady Francis. Both of them started to protest when Agni stepped up the grave and began chanting in a quiet voice, but the Earl waved them off.

Francis sent a silent glare at her nephew and looked at her brother's grave a few feet away. It was another protest that she had voiced when they reached the family cemetery and she had seen where Undertaker had placed the girl's marker for her stone. It had fallen on ears that were just as deaf as now and there was nothing that she could do about it. Ciel seemed to have reached the end of his patience and reminded the older woman that the Phantomhive estate was no longer her home and she had no say in how things were done.

For his part, Sebastian had said nothing about the fact that his Master had chosen to bury Serena in the same row as his parents and the Earl's own empty grave. To the demon, it was really meaningless in the grand scheme of things. His mate was gone and it really didn't matter where her body was laid to rest. The body really meant nothing, it was the soul that inhabited it that made a person and hers was gone.

When Undertaker stepped up to start lowering the casket into the dark earth, Ciel turned away and went to the gate, unable to watch. The crunching of snow told him that Sebastian followed. The sound got louder as the rest of their little group joined the walk back to the manor.

Hoof beats and the roll of carriage wheels broke through the silence of the procession. The team of horses pulling the Midford carriage stopped at the front doors and Sebastian excused himself to hurry ahead. Ciel looked at the emblem on the vehicle's door and let out a small sigh of relief.

 _'Maybe now I can get rid of all of them.'_

************************A Demon's Mate*********************

The festival was certainly well liked. It was hard to move on the temple grounds because of all the people and Serena strained to hear the guide explaining various features of what she was sure was a beautiful garden when it wasn't packed. In the jostling she had lost the others, but shrugged it off. Experience had taught her that they would go back to the apartment without her if they didn't meet up again, and she found that she wasn't bothered nearly as much at being alone than she would have normally been.

There was no other choice but to move with the flow of the crowd and they were headed for the courtyard of the main temple. Serena kept a hold on her bag as she was pushed along and tried to keep from screaming at all the people touching her.

In the courtyard, the monks had set up tables that were selling charms and various other things related to the temple. The red head went to each, seeing several things that caught her attention but none that she had to have. A table at the end held necklaces and she felt drawn to one in particular. It was simple really. A delicate chain held a single tear drop shaped stone that was a light blue. She picked it up to get a closer look, fascinated by the simple stone.

Suddenly, her arm was grabbed and the red head was spun around. An elderly monk stared intently at her before sliding the hand that held her arm to hold her fingers open. He flipped her hand over and ran his fingers lightly over the skin of her palm. When he looked up, the expression in his eyes was hard and unwelcoming.

"He's coming. A being shrouded in darkness that walks the world of man. Return to the beginning to find the ending." The monk took the necklace from her limp fingers. "This will no longer help you. You have already accepted him and I must ask that you leave this holy place."

Serena nodded, still staring at the man in shock. "Thank you."

The monk followed as she pushed through the crowd to the stairs. She could feel him watching from the top and turned before going under the last gate and onto the sidewalk. He was still there, making sure that the red head left the grounds before turning back and disappearing into the crowds.

*********************A Demon's Mate********************

Ciel sighed as the silence of his office slowly turned from comforting to stifling. The Midfords had decided to stay for the rest of the day, insistent that he needed company. Finally after dinner, he had been able to convince them that what he needed was peace and quiet. Strangely enough, it was Lizzy who had seen the strain and suggested that they leave. She had even gotten Soma and Agni to head back to the townhouse in the Earl's carriage.

Now, there was no one. But, the quiet he craved was irritating. He stood up and walked out of the room. The halls of the manor offered no solace either and Ciel soon found himself outside of Serena's room. When the door opened, he could tell the room had been cleaned but there was still a light trace of the perfume that the red head had worn all around him. There was nothing personal laying out and he remembered that there really hadn't been anything personal that Serena had while she was here. The only thing the girl had was her bag and that was with her.

He shivered at the smell of blood that still lingered. A flash of something through the open drapes pulled him to the window. Sebastian was walking across the grounds toward the forest.

 _'Where is he going?'_

**************************A Demon's Mate************************

Serena entered the apartment out of breath from running. Dropping her bag on the couch, she ran to her room and pulled her suitcases out from under the bed. Tossing clothes out of her closet and onto the bed, the girl didn't bother to fold them before shoving them in the bags. Jewelry in the small box on her dresser was dumped quickly into her carry on bag and she didn't care that she had mixed clean clothes in with dirty. Thankfully, she hadn't brought that much with her and had invested in a couple extra suitcases for the things that she bought while in Tokyo. It still didn't fit very well and the red head ended up having to sit on the last one to close it.

 _'I'm so glad that I reconsidered and sold those two paintings. The airline won't let me change tickets, so I'll just have to buy a new one.'_ Serena stuffed her sketchbook and pencils in the bag she would carry on the plane. _'I'll just go and wait out the flight that I need.'_

Making sure that her passport and visa were within easy reach, the red head smiled for the first time since she found herself back in the present. The room was empty, not perfect by any means, but she looked around and was satisfied that nothing had been left behind. Opening her bedroom door, Serena was surprised to see Akiko in the main room.

"What the hell is this?" The girl slammed the little notebook closed and tossed it down.

"It's a shorthand that I came up with in high school." Akiko spun around and saw her roommate standing behind her. "I was never the best student. I had a hard time remembering, so I needed to copy down more of the lecture. It would take you longer than a few minutes to decipher it."

The other girl straightened and tried to figure an explanation.

"You know, I always wondered why we thought so much alike."

"What?"

"Your sponsor professor likes to show off to mine. Imagine my surprise when I had to resubmit two different pieces because you had turned in something that was frighteningly similar. But, you're faster than me so yours was always in first." Serena picked up her purse and put the notebook back inside. "Of course, they never said anything to you. The professors chalked it up to us being roommates and figured that we discussed our pieces. They couldn't tell who had the idea first, so they couldn't punish anyone. But you always submitted first, so I was the one that had to change ideas. That's why I started using my old shorthand again. But still, the idea alone isn't enough, Akiko. Because it's not your idea, you can't really see it."

"You can't prove anything."

"You're right, I can't. And to be honest, it doesn't really matter anymore. I'll always be better than you. Your work has no life in it. Now, I know why. You can't put heart into something that you stole."

"Akiko?"

Both girl turned to see Izumi and Shougo in the entryway. The man walked over to his girlfriend, waiting for her to deny it. When she didn't, he laughed.

"Is that why you work on your pieces at my place? A part of me always wondered why you weren't more comfortable at home. You couldn't work on them here because Serena would have seen them."

Akiko looked between all of them, panic evident on her face. Serena shook her head and slung her purse over her shoulder. Walking back to her suitcases, she found a way to juggle the bags and headed for the door. Izumi tried to say something but just stepped out of the way.

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Ciel followed the footprints of his butler into the woods. The night air was even colder than the last and he tried to ignore the cold biting into his skin, trying to steal the breath from his lungs. The snow thinned a bit inside the treeline, making it easier for him to catch up. The Earl could hear something ahead and hurried on.

He saw the black of Sebastian's tailcoat and ducked behind a tree. The demon was talking to someone but he couldn't hear the words. The other man was a blonde, tall and painfully beautiful. In the dark, Ciel could almost see his golden eyes glow. He was dressed in a nice suit, not a thing out of place as he watched Sebastian. After a moment, he recognized the gloves the man was wearing, were not gloves at all. They were heavy gauntlets.

The hit came out of nowhere. Ciel didn't even see the other man move and wouldn't have known that anything happened if Sebastian hadn't gone flying. When he landed on the other side of the small clearing, the demon stayed down. The other man took off his coat and a large pair of white wings exploded from his back.


	30. Chapter 30

Author's Note: I actually went out and looked on the Virgin-Atlantic website and I have to tell you, it's become a new life dream to take an international trip to somewhere and fly in Upper Class. It's on my bucket list. They have a place on the website where you can take a tour of the Upper Class cabin...and it's some serious awesome. Hopefully, I can fit some of those details in here. I really don't know much about changing flight dates and standby and all that, so please excuse any descrepancies.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and the demons that I introduce, as well as the O.C.s I think we all know that I don't own Virgin-Atlantic Airways, nor do I receive any payment for advertising. I just put it in here because I thought it was cool.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirty

 _'I flew in here, why didn't I remember how big this airport is?'_

Serena stepped out of the cab and looked up at the massive inter-connected buildings of Narita International Airport. Virgin Airlines had their own drop off point, that was still filled with people dodging to and fro. The cabby was a likable man, obviously hoping for a decent tip as he grabbed the nearest cart and loaded her bags for her. Happy at a direction to go in search of her demon, Serena handed the man the rest of the yen in her wallet with a bright smile and grabbed the cart as he gaped at the money in his hand.

If possible, the inside was even more daunting than the outside. Sounds of travelers roared through the cavernous space as people hurried along trying to find their airline. The line at the Virgin-Atlantic ticket counter was still long, even with most people buying and reserving online. At least it seemed to be moving fairly quickly. Two of the branches anyway. The third ticket rep appeared to be having some sort of argument with the teenager in front of her.

"Can I help you?" The pretty woman dressed in a sharp, red suit, with a Virgin Airways Wing pinned to her jacket, smiled at Serena and distracted the red head from trying to figure out what was going on at the other counter.

"Yes, I need to change my flight, hopefully to today." She pulled the small packet with her ticket and flight itenerary from her purse and handed it to the woman.

"You still have time to change the flight before a fee is charged. We have two flights to New York that still have space today. One leaves in a little over an hour, that doesn't really give you time to get through customs and security though. The other leaves in three hours." The woman looked up from her screen, still smiling.

"No, I need to change the destination as well as the departure date."

The rep's smile faded a little. "I'm sorry, if you change your destination, you would have to purchase an entirely new fight ticket."

Remembering how much this ticket had cost, Serena swallowed hard and nodded. "That's fine."

The woman opened her ticket packet and started typing her information into the computer.

"There has to be something. My father just had a heart attack, I have to get back to New York." She caught the boy's panic at the other rep's window.

"The only thing left available for a new ticket is Upper Class."

The teenage boy, dressed in jeans and an M University t-shirt sighed and leaned against the counter.

Serena looked at the useless ticket in her hands. The economy seat could be moved to another flight, why couldn't someone else use it? She looked at it once more before setting it on the counter and sliding it over to the younger man. He stared at it for a minute and looked up to her.

"I have to pay for a new ticket anyway. Someone might as well use that one." She turned to the woman in the same uniform that was helping the teen. "He can change that for a flight leaving today, can't he?"

"I can put him on standby then have you sign off on the ticket. After he claims it, the departure date can be changed."

The teen threw his arms around the red head. She heard a small sob and a 'thank you' before he pulled away.

Her own rep brought Serena's attention back to her. "What destination are you wanting to change too?"

"London."

"We have a flight leaving for Heathrow International in four hours." She looked back up with a strained smile. "It is also an Upper Class flight, that has priority through our own security and passport check."

"And how much does that priority cost in dollars?"

"In total, the flight is $4645.11."

Serena choked, staring at the smiling clerk with wide eyes.

 _'Oh, that monk better be right. Or I'll pitch a tent on those precious holy grounds of his. Of course I would have to come back to do that and therefore have to buy another ticket. But it would be worth finding the money somewhere.'_

"Fine, that's fine." Still shaking, and a little breathless, the red head pulled her wallet back out. After a moment's hesitation, she handed the card to the rep.

 _'It's a damn good thing that I sold those pieces for a good price. I can only stay a month without a visa. If he's not there and I have to go home, this little side trip may just break me. I still haven't figured out where I'll stay either. That will cost, I'm sure. It's a good thing that I always wanted to save every penny that I could. I'm going to need them all this time.'_

The woman directed her to the roped off lane leading to the security check point and told her that someone would be there to direct her to the clubhouse, another amenity that her 4600 bucks had purchased, she had the option of browsing the many shops that Narita had to offer travelers. With four hours to kill and a fifteen hour flight to look forward too, Serena decided on the shops. She had no one to buy souveniers for, but it would give her something to do and time to stretch her legs.

Security was a great deal easier than she had ever seen. The men were also incredibly more polite. They still looked through her carry on, as well as her purse, checked her passport and Serena still had to go through the metal detector, but it was infinitely less stressful as she sat in a cushioned armchair while they checked everything over. After passing through the check point, the men waved her to another waiting with a golf cart to take her to the clubhouse for Virgin-Atlantic but she shook her head.

"I'll just walk around for a while."

"If you wish, when you are done shopping, another skycab will take you to the terminal."

"Thank you." Serena bowed and walked into the shopping concourse.

It was still crowded, but since it was all passengers, it wasn't so bad. The shops all carried souveniers to take home and several were specialized. The ones featuring artisan crafts were fascinating and the red head wished that she had taken the time to tour some of the crafter's studios instead of just being mired in her classes. One shop specialized in tea from many areas of Japan and Serena moved to the other side of the concourse quickly. Some catered to specific regions of Tokyo and the things that had made those districts famous. The Akihabara area was one of the lucky ones to have it's own little shop and the display in the window made her stop.

A large version of Bitter Rabbit, with his little vest, bow-tie and eye patch stood in the midst of other stuffed plushes from various other anime series. After a minute of staring at the glass, Serena entered the shop and picked up the toy. She remembered the toys made by the Funtom company that had been displayed in one of the manor's many rooms and laughed. The woman at the register was more than happy to accept her card and bag the stuffed animal.

*********************A Demon's Mate********************

Sebastian lay where he had landed and made no move to get up. Ciel watched from his little hiding place as the angel walked to the demon and threw one of his fists into the demon's chest. The Earl stared in disbelief as Sebastian made no move to defend himself. He saw the demon's eyes open and close and knew that he was still conscious.

"Get up." He whispered, knowing that the demon would hear him.

Sebastian closed his eyes.

"Come on, fight me!" The angel pointed to Sebastian and then himself. "Demon. Angel. That's what we do."

"I don't care, Gabriel."

"No!" Ciel yelled as he tore out of his hiding place. "Get up, Sebastian!"

"Your Master's calling you, demon." The blonde taunted as he looked down on the demon.

Sebastian turned to look and Ciel gasped at the expression on his face. There was defeat in his eyes. A welcoming of the death the angel offered. Gabriel slammed his fist into the demon's chest again.

"Get up!" Ciel watched as the demon turned away, ignoring his order. "I did not bargain for such a weak demon. Now, fight."

"That may not be what you bargained for, but it's what you got kid."

"Shut up!" The human screamed at the angel and ran between him and the demon. He shoved at the blonde's chest and was a little surprised when Gabriel backed off and lifted his hands in a placating gesture.

Gabriel laughed. "Look at that, your human is more ferocious than you. Perhaps I should have fought him from the beginning. Probably would have given me more of a challenge than a demon who just lays there."

"Sebastian!"

"Go back to the manor." His voice was tired as he laid in the snow, refusing to look at either of them.

"No!" Ciel reached down and yanked on his butler's tie. "You will not leave me. You can't die, we have a deal. Now, get up damn it!"

The demon watched and his mate's voice came through his mind.

 _'You're the only thing that he has left. The one thing that no one can take from him.'_

"I'm not done fighting. Which means that you aren't either. Stand up! Fight him!" He yanked on the tie still in his hands, but Sebastian still didn't move an inch.

"You're wasting your breath, boy. He's broken. The mighty Elder of London." Gabriel laughed again and it turned into a sneer. "Pathetic. Mourning a woman that hasn't even been born yet."

Sebastian gasped as his eyes popped back open.

"Get it now?" The blonde walked closer and Ciel glared at him. "He gave you a warning shot, demon. Called it repayment for how you became a demon in the first place. I don't pretend to understand why He would bother with the courtesy. Either way, you know what you need to do now."

The demon moved slowly to stand. Ciel stayed where he was as his butler held his chest and looked at the angel. Sebastian nodded and Gabriel turned away.

"I expect a better fight next time, demon." He waved over his shoulder and walked deeper into the woods, disappearing in the shadows.

***********************A Demon's Mate**********************

After walking around a little more, Serena and her new plushie headed back toward the Virgin-Atlantic gate. She had no idea where this clubhouse that she was supposed to use was. The seating area was almost full and the red head tried to ignore the sound of a crying toddler as she waited in line to enter. Evidently, you were only allowed in the gate area with a ticket. Considering that you couldn't come past security without a ticket, it made this next check seem a little redundant. A man and woman, dressed again in black and red respectively, waited to check tickets at the entryway.

When she finally got to the front, the woman smiled and looked at her ticket. She handed it to the man next to her. "If you would follow Hiroshi, he will escort you to the Upper Class clubhouse."

"Thank you." Serena returned the woman's bow and walked behind the man as he cut through to a staircase at the back of the gate area.

She tried not to notice the several people that watched, trying to figure out what was going on.

 _'Evidently, this is why you take the skycab. Now I know what a goldfish feels like.'_

At the top of the stairs was another woman in a red suit who took her ticket from Hiroshi. The man bowed and walked around her to go back to the gate.

"Welcome, Miss Walton. Your flight is not scheduled to depart for another two hours, however we do have priority boarding starting in one hour." She turned to point behind her. "The clubhouse restaurant, as well as the bar will be happy to serve you, and the viewing deck has a fantastic view of the runway and sky line while you wait."

"Thank you." Serena took her ticket back and went into the lounge, done in slick black and white with red accents. Everyone else in the large lounge seemed unaffected by the luxury around them and she tried to channel Ciel's bored face as she crossed the polished wood floor. Even so, a little giggle slipped out as she sat down at the bar.

 _'I wonder if Ciel would be impressed.'_ Another giggled escaped. _'He'd probably still find something to complain about.'_

The bartender was again dressed in red and offered Serena one of the signature clubhouse drinks, a Virgin Redhead that she just had to try. She found an empty seat at the viewing deck and sipped the drink in her hand while watching the sun starting to set over the Tokyo skyline. A sigh escaped as she watched the planes take off.

 _'I'm coming, Sebastian. Just give me a little longer.'_

*******************A Demon's Mate******************

Bardroy woke the next morning and stretched lazily in his bed. Sebastian hadn't come to wake them yet, so the chef figured it was still early. Sinking back into the mattress, with his head on his pillow, the man looked over to the window to gauge how much time he had left before the butler made his appearance, but the sun had already risen.

Bard jerked up and threw his blankets off.

"Finny, get up. We must have fallen back to sleep after Sebastian came in."

The gardener didn't seem to be moving and the older man reached over to shake him.

"Come on." he said when the green eyes finally focused on him. "We should have been up hours ago. He's going to flay us alive."

Both men struggled to dress quickly and put their shoes on before flying out the door. As they went down the hall toward the kitchen, Bard noticed that Mei-Rin's door was still closed. He banged on the wood portal and heard the maid fall out of bed.

"Get up, Mei-Rin. We're late!" He heard a scramble and nodded.

In the kitchen, the Master's morning tea was already on the cart, all it needed was hot water to be prepared. The paper laid on the second shelf, already ironed. Next to the teapot, cup and daily tea flavor, was a tray with morning pastries covered with a little glass dome. But, the butler himself, was nowhere to be found.

Tanaka came through the door with a flustered Mei-Rin. The former butler was surprised that he had slept in for the first time in decades and looked a little ruffled because of it. He looked around the kitchen and noticed the plates that had been set up at the kitchen table for the servants. The icebox held meals that had already been prepared and just needed to be heated.

Suspicious, Tanaka went into the dining room and found the Earl's table already set and awaiting breakfast to be served. Going through the house, not a single thing was out of place. But, there was a feeling, a heaviness to the air that saturated the manor. Tanaka climbed the stairs quickly. Everyone, except Bard who had gone to wake Snake, followed behind the older man. He waved them to remain in the hall and entered the Earl's bedroom.

Lord Phantomhive was still in bed but woke when Tanaka entered.

"Tanaka? What's going on?" The Earl rubbed his eyes as he sat up.

"Forgive me, Lord Phantomhive, for waking you."

Ciel looked at the clock on the bedside table and noticed the time. Sebastian should have been to wake him almost two hours ago.

"Where's Sebastian?"

"I...do not know, my lord. Everything has been prepared for this morning, but no one was awoken. We have all slept later than we normally would."

The Earl slid out of bed and grabbed his eye patch before leaving his rooms. Everyone was waiting in the hallway and stood aside as the Master came out. Ciel tied the patch in a messy knot as he stomped down the stairs, angry at the shoddy service his perfect butler was providing this morning. The servants followed him past the kitchens and to the door of the house's butler.

"I swear Sebastian, if you're still moping in there..." Ciel didn't even bother to knock before throwing the door open.

They all stopped dead at the empty room. The bed had been stripped and the desk cleaned off. The Earl went to the wardrobe and yanked the doors open. All the clothing was gone and in their place were the linens for the bed, the drawers were empty. In the bathroom, no towels hung on the rack and everything had been cleaned out. Looking in the mirror with a horrible feeling, Ciel ripped his eye patch off.

His contract seal was gone.

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Priority boarding was definitely a trip. Serena was personally escorted from her seat in the lounge, onto the plane and then into her assigned seat. The stewardess even took a minute to brief her on the details on her little slice of techno heaven. Her large, leather seat was power operated and easily reclined with her back to the window. There were no aisle or window seats, as it was all one unit with little privacy walls on either side of her. Set into one of the walls was a touch screen monitor in which she could choose her own inflight entertainment. On the other was a small desk piece that she could pull out of the half-wall, as well as a booklight that could be moved to shine on whatever she was doing. An ottoman at the end of the seat provided a place to put her feet up and the top lifted so she could secure her carry on and keep it out of the way. The flight attendant had also informed her, while pouring the red head a glass of champagne, that her seat would turn into a bed when she was ready to rest during the flight.

With a smile and biting her lip, Serena made sure no one was looking at her and hit the recline button. She giggled to herself as the seat went down and she disappeared behind the little walls. The girl took a moment to play with all the buttons and the touchscreen menus, feeling like a kid in a candy store before sitting back up. She jumped when she realized that someone was looking over the wall behind her.

"First time in Upper Class?" The man smiled at her excitement. He was beautiful with short, golden hair slicked back from his face that still held a hint of the glossy waves it would be if he let it grow. His features carried the high cheekbones and pale skin that reminded her of Scandinavians. The perfectly tailored gray suit he wore set off his pale skin and bright, blue eyes that were laughing at her.

Serena sunk down in her seat a little with a blush. "I guess it's kind of obvious, huh?"

He looked both ways before whispering, "only a little."

The man held out his hand as she laughed. "Lucien. Lucien Michaels."

"Serena Walton."

Lucien leaned back as the stewardess came up with a glass of champagne for him.

"Is he bothering you, miss?"

"Cindy, I'm wounded." He held a hand to his chest as he looked at the woman in red.

"You are shameless flirt."

"My intentions are as innocent as the pure, driven snow."

Both women snorted and he looked to Serena in shock.

"You're a womanizer. Pure and simple." She smiled. "It's easy to see."

"I object to the term 'womanizer.'" He adopted a serious expression. "I love every woman that I spend time with, just not enough to keep them. But, they know that up front."

Cindy glared at the man before turning a smile to Serena. "Just let me know if he bothers you. I'll move him elsewhere."

As she moved off, the red head looked back to Lucien. "I take it you fly a lot."

"I'm a glorified messenger boy."

"Who flies Upper Class?"

"I never said I wasn't a happy messenger boy." He came to sit on her ottoman. "I keep my boss happy by doing excellent work with every task he gives me and he keeps me happy by letting me travel in nice accomodations. I look after many of his holdings all over the world and have fun doing it."

"That's some job."

"It's one hell of a job," he said with a smirk.

Something about the way that he said it struck Serena as odd, but the moment was quickly glossed over as Lucien looked behind him.

"Ah, and here comes my business partner."

The other man was taller, easily towering over the leggy stewardess as she escorted him to the seat in front of Serena. The black suit he wore didn't disguise the fact that he carried plenty of muscle, everywhere. Dark hair, the color of bitter chocolate, went to his shoulders was tied back at his thick neck. Grey eyes set deep in Roman features took in everything around him as long legs carried him to his seat and she instantly thought soldier.

"Edwin, I made a new friend."

"Is he bothering you?" The deep, gravely voice was obviously used to issuing orders but, for some reason, she found it reassuring instead of threatening.

Serena laughed. "Not quite yet."

"Why is everybody picking on me today? I'm just trying to be friendly."

"You ask for it." The taller man held out his hand. "Edwin Phillips."

"Serena Walton. It's nice to meet you." She looked at the heavy hand that held hers and could easily see it swinging a broadsword instead of holding a cell phone.

Looking between the two men she couldn't help but think that they were polar opposites but still managed to get along as they nodded to each other.

"Do one of you want to switch, so you can sit together?"

"Not at all." Lucien winked at her. "I like having a pretty woman between us."

"Excuse me." Edwin reached over Serena and whacked his partner over the head.

The blonde winced. "It will definitely cut down on that."


	31. Chapter 31

Author's Note: I don't know if all this stuff is correct, so please forgive any discrepancies. There were several other hotels that I found while tip-toeing around the internet, but The Halkin seemed like a place that Serena would be blown away by, while still staying in the area around Hyde Park. Which is the only landmark that she can name right off the bat.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce. I do not own The Halkin, nor am I sure that all the details are correct. Again, I just thought what I found on the internet was cool. If there is a Phantom's Gallery in New York, I didn't know and don't own that either, nor do I have any idea who works there.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirty One

Lucien had certainly made the flight enjoyable, and Edwin had been quick to smack his colleague back in line whenever he overstepped himself. Literally. His flirting never really went away but it wasn't completely directed at her either. The blonde would even flirt with his partner occasionally and she realized it was just him.

 _'He'd probably flirt with a tiger about to eat him and get out of it unscathed.'_ The other man reached over the seat without halting his current conversation with another stewardess and smacked Lucien again. _'Well, maybe not completely unscathed.'_

Edwin had started talking on the phone in some strange foreign language while she and the blonde were playing with the touchscreen in her seat. They were looking through the movies when Serena yawned. Lucien laughed at her apology and suggested that she fold her nifty chair into a bed so that she could relax while they choose the entertainment. The red head had just slid under the fluffy blanket when Edwin leaned over the wall to talk to Lucien in the same strange language. Her eyes grew heavy at the soft sounds. Serena didn't notice either of them watching her as she succumbed to sleep.

"I don't understand what the Elder is thinking." Lucien whispered as he watched the girl frown in her sleep and went back to his own seat. "He should be here, not us. And having the other two watch her in Tokyo."

"It is not our place to question. He has his plan and we have our orders. We are to watch the girl as she makes her way to the manor and that is what we will do." Edwin stood and walked around the wall to pull up the blanket that had slipped while she had gotten comfortable.

"Yes, yes. I know." The other demon sighed and sat back in his seat.

The next time she opened her eyes, Serena found Cindy's smiling face leaning over her and sun streaming through windows scattered about the cabin.

"Miss Walton, we'll be landing at Heathrowe in two hours. In the meantime, we have afternoon tea if you wish or I could bring you breakfast instead."

"Ugh, no more tea. I'll just have orange juice." She stretched a little and let out a yawn.

"Morning, beautiful." Lucien's head popped over the wall. "Well actually, it's afternoon now, it was morning when you went to sleep, but you get the point."

"Morning. How can you look as fresh as when you got on the plane?"

"It's one of my skills." He smiled, turning on the charm again.

"Well, I'm sure I look like a mess." She pushed back her hair that had escaped its braid and sat up a little.

"Not at all. There's nothing sexier than a woman who's just awoken, all tousled and warm." He winked at her and Serena saw a heavy arm reached across the seats. The sound of the smack filled the cabin and their fellow passengers turned to look.

Lucien's head disappeared behind the wall and she heard a soft 'ow.'

"I apologize. It's a compulsion, really. He can't help it." Edwin stood and she winced, hearing vertebrae cracking back into place. "I told the stewardess you may have wanted to freshen up before we arrive."

"Thank you, I would." Sliding down to the other end of her little bed, Serena stretched again after she stood.

There weren't that many other passengers in their cabin and they had seemed to have all been placed on the other side. It struck her as odd that the three of them had been seated so close together but the others were spread apart. Shaking it off, she grabbed her little complementary toiletry bag and purse before hurrying to the restroom so she didn't have to wait in line. Passing the small galley that was dedicated to Upper Class, a little box fell off one of the shelves and spilled it's contents all over her.

"Miss Walton! Are you alright?" Cindy and another stewardess came rushing over.

"I'm fine. It's nothing." When Serena took her arms down and dusted herself off. Edwin and Lucien were standing there as well. She looked down at the box that had flown at her and almost screamed.

"Tea leaves? Why is always tea leaves? If I didn't know any better I would say I'm being stalked by tea." The red head noticed the strange looks. "I'm not crazy. I've drank nothing but tea the last few weeks and when I swore that I would never touch the stuff again, it's everywhere. Now, it's smacking me in the face."

"You should drink that tea." Lucien crossed his arms with a strangely serious expression. "Show it who the boss is."

Edwin smacked the blonde as he rolled his eyes.

"Thank you." Serena sighed. "However, I'll take it as a sign and I'll have the afternoon tea."

Cindy smiled and held up the box that had so unjustly ambushed her. "I'll have it ready when you come out. I assume you'll want the Earl Grey?"

"That's fine." She waved it off and stepped into the bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, the girl groaned at her hair sticking up and the raccoon eyes from rubbing her mascara in her sleep. "I really do look like a mess."

 _'And of course, I was in such a hurry that I didn't get my stuff out of the bathroom or pack anything in my carry-on to change into. Because I'm a genius.'_ She pulled what little was left of her braid out and tried to smooth it back before re-braiding it. _'I need a shower. I don't even have a hotel! Crap, what am I going to do? I knew that I needed a place to stay but I totally lost what I was going to do when I got on the plane. Damn flirt, it's all his fault.'_

She sprayed some of the perfume that was in her purse over herself after brushing her teeth and washing off the rest of her makeup. Trying to smooth some of the wrinkles out of her slept-in dress, Serena opened the door to find Lucien on the other side. The blonde was looking around the plane with his back to the door and turned when she came out.

"Did you need something?" The red head asked suspicious.

Not missing a beat, the man pointed to the restroom.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Serena blushed and headed back for her seat. She didn't see Lucien watching her until she was back in sight of Edwin. The demon waited a few seconds and then returned to his seat with a smile.

When Serena got back, her bed had been put back to a seat and the used sheet and blanket taken away. Edwin was doing something on his phone but looked up as she came closer. The man gave her a rare smile before returning to whatever he was doing. Lucien came bouncing down the aisle next, Cindy right behind him with her tea tray. The girl hurried to pull out her little table for the woman to set it on.

As well as a fresh tea, complete with saucer, Cindy also set down a small carousel filled with little cakes and finger sandwiches.

"Thank you."

"So, where are you staying while in London?" Lucien popped back over the wall.

Serena set her cup down and bit her lip. "Actually, I haven't quite figured that out yet."

"There is an app that you can use to find a hotel." He pointed to the screen set in the other wall of her little suite.

"Really?" She touched the screen and navigated around the various windows. "Well, will you look at that."

"Pick The Halkin. It's beautiful and it is right off of Hyde Park."

 _'Hyde park?'_ Serena suppressed a shudder as she remembered her last visit to the park. _'I do need to be somewhere near the townhouse to have any hope of backtracking to find the manor. But, Hyde Park is huge. I don't even know which side I need to be on to be able to find anything familiar. I'll also need a map.'_

She scrolled down until she found the hotel that he was talking about and promptly choked on her tea. Shaking her head at the price, Serena moved on down the list.

"Hey, where are you going? You just passed it."

"I am aware of that. The Halkin doesn't fit into the budget." Her voice was firm as she looked at prices first and then the pictures.

"Budget smudget. I'm guessing from how you reacted to this plane, that this is a once in a lifetime trip. Gotta live it."

"Well, I'd like to be able to live after it too. I already spent way too much on this ticket because I was in a hurry." She shook her head and kept moving.

"There is no substitute for a good hotel in a great location that will also be safe." The man made a motion for her to go back up the page.

"Safe?"

"I told you that The Halkin is a very nice hotel. They take care of their guests and it's an area that is well patrolled."

She bit her thumbnail, still staring at the screen. "But, it's so expensive."

"It's worth it." He whispered over her shoulder and Serena was reminded of the little devil cartoon that was supposed to sit on your shoulder and talk you into things you shouldn't do.

"No, I can't do it. It's nowhere near the budget." She shook her head and moved down the list again.

"A good hotel is always in the budget."

"You don't even know what the budget is." She thought for a moment. "I don't even know what the budget is."

Picking up the AeroMobile phone that the stewardess had shown her when first boarding, she called her bank and waited through the prompts. Serena couldn't help but notice that Lucien was still hanging over the wall.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all." The blonde smiled at her glare but backed off. He disappeared behind the wall before she could see his smile turn into a smirk.

"You're account balance is $62,625.91." The robotic voice came over the line and the red head almost stopped breathing.

"What?!" Serena pulled the phone away to stare at it. "That can't be right."

She hit the option to repeat but the number hadn't changed in the few seconds that elapsed. She hit the zero button and waited to for a member representative to come on the line. The voice that came over the phone was friendly as it introduced itself and waited for her reason for calling.

"Yes, there has been a rather large deposit made into my account and I was hoping that you could tell me where it came from."

"Of course. If you could verify some info for me." After giving her birthdate and the last four of her social, Serena waited for the woman to explain the mistake and tell her how much was really in the account. "Miss Walton, it seems that there was a deposit made from a Phantom's Gallery, New York in the amount of $59,600 two days ago. There is also a large debit on your account from Virgin-Atlantic Airways that we would like to verify while I have you on the phone."

"No, that's one's right. It should be a little over 4600."

"That's correct. I will go ahead and take the flag off of that. Is there anything else that I can help you with?"

"No, that's all. Thank you." Serena hung up and called the gallery that had agreed to feature her work shortly before she had left for Tokyo. After waiting through the greeting, she was happy to hear the familiar voice of the same man that she always dealt with come over the line. "Todd, this is Serena."

"Oh, you must have seen the deposit."

"I did. What is that?"

"You wouldn't believe it." He gushed. "This gentlemen came in off the street and liked one of your paintings. You know, the one of the campus where everyone is in shadow and it's a little creepy? Anyway, he insisted on buying them all. He even took the sketches, Serena. Oh, he was beautiful and didn't bat one of his super-long eyelashes when he was told the final price."

"Are you serious?" Serena felt a little trouble breathing in her shock.

"He could have had me without even drinks."

"Todd, about the pieces." She rolled her eyes.

"Joyce almost started to weep tears of joy when he handed her his card and it went through. We had it crated and they were all shipped off this morning." She could hear him take a sip of something over the phone while she tried to digest what he had told her. "Now, when are you coming back? And I hope that you were working while you were in Tokyo. Joyce wants some more to feature. In fact, she'll start breathing down your neck the minute you step back into the country. She may even meet you at the airport."

"I don't know yet. I kinda took a side trip to London."

"What?! Are you okay?" He sounded concerned. "Can't have a favorite artist get lost on another continent, now can we?"

She heard the smile in his voice and rolled her eyes again. "Look, I gotta go. Thanks, Todd."

"Serena wait, there was something about that man..."

She hung up to see Lucien had sneaked back around the corner while she was occupied and was now seated on her ottoman.

"I'm assuming that your budget has changed?" He smiled and something in it made her suspicious. But she didn't see how he could have any connection to the purchase at Phantom's. There was no way that he could be in New York, then Tokyo, then on a plane to London in that amount of time.

"I guess it has."

"Then stay at The Halkin." The blonde poked her in the side with a smile.

"I take it that's where you're staying?"

"Maybe." He looked at her slyly. "Just think, you could have a built in tour guide and dinner partner."

"Would Edwin be coming on this tour and dinner?"

"I could show you around alone." The blonde leered slightly and she shook her head.

"I think that you are damn dangerous alone." She sighed and turned back to the monitor. Pulling up The Halkin again, she looked at the price once more. "That is really expensive."

"That's a very nice hotel. Take the Belgravia Suite."

"I don't need the Belgravia Suite. I'm not planning on spending a lot of time in the room anyway. I just need a place to shower and sleep. The deluxe is fine."

"It's all about atmosphere. You're going to regret being a penny pincher."

She glared at him and hit the button anyway.

"You should have taken the suite." Lucien shook his head. "Maybe they will let you upgrade when we get to the hotel."

"I don't need to upgrade," The red head ground out.

"Oh, you just don't know how to spend money." He waved her off and sat back against the wall.

"No, no I don't."

"Well, I'll teach you. This trip is going to be great. Whether you want it to be or not."

"Will that get you off my ass?"

"Trust me, if I were on your ass, you'd know it." He smirked down at her and something in his eyes made her blush.

Edwin turned but a smack was already heard around the cabin. Serena glared as the man watched her in disbelief, holding his head.

"Very nice, my lady." Edwin glared at his partner before going back to the phone.

************************A Demon's Mate***********************

Ciel closed the door to his office and shut out the chatter of the servants. After Tanaka had helped him dress, the Earl had gone back to Sebastian's room but found nothing that gave clue as to where the butler had gone or why. He could only assume that it had to do with the confrontation that occurred the night before. The only thing that he was certain of was that he didn't have much time without Sebastian's protection and he needed a plan.

Walking to the desk, he finally noticed the box sitting on the center. A black ribbon was tied around the package and was fashioned into a fancy bow at the top. There was no one else that Ciel could think of that would use a black bow, but Sebastian. Taking his seat, he didn't like his back being to the window anymore and stood again. He took the box and went to the chair that Serena had always sat in when she interrupted him.

There was nothing identifying of it's contents on the plain paper that wrapped it. As he pulled on the bow, the Earl realized the ribbon was made of leather. Another identifier of who left it. Just under the paper, he found a note.

 _'I'm sure that you have noticed by now that I have terminated our contract.'_

Ciel didn't bother to read the rest and crumpled the paper into a ball, throwing it into the fireplace. In his anger, the teen ripped the box open and looked inside. Past the tissue paper was a book, not very exceptional, except for the scorch marks covering the outside leather. When he opened the front cover, he found the book was hand written. It's pages had been yellowed from age and fire damage but one could still read the words easily. Another note fell out from the front cover.

 _'I assume that you threw the other note on the fire without reading it. Temper, temper.'_ Ciel's fingers clutched around the note and resisted the urge to crumple this one too. _'This is the last one that I have enclosed, so I would suggest that you read it. As I had told you at our first meeting, I have never made a contract with a child. To be honest, I was purposely delaying the search for your family's killer, giving you time to grow up. I found this interesting tome while I was rebuilding the manor that first night we arrived here. You know when I speak of, you were crying over your parents' grave like a lost little child. Although, I suppose the comparison is apt in this case. After I had figured out what secrets lay inside this book, written by Tanaka, I had also come to be amused by life at the Phantomhive estate and this new master I served. I have kept this book, for when I felt that you were ready for it's contents and when I was ready for this contract to end. With recent revelations, that time has come sooner than I expected and without the ending that I had planned on._

 _Now I leave it for you, my last gift. Inside lay the secrets that you have so desperately been searching for. You can open this book and study it's pages until the answer comes to you, or you can throw it on the fire with the other note I left. You now have the option of living out the rest of your life with our deal no longer in effect and it's consequences nothing but a bad dream. The choice is yours._

 _I say farewell to an interesting master. An incredible feat, I assure you, for a human to hold my interest so long. I find that this is one of the very few times that I have said farewell and actually meant it._

It was unsigned, but it didn't need to be. Ciel set the letter to the side, smoothing out the page and set the journal on the ottoman in front of him. Leaning back in his chair, the Earl stared at the innocuous looking book.

In the hallway, Tanaka left the others to make a phone call.

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Serena admitted that Lucien had been correct. The Halkin certainly lived up to it's hype. The dark brick facade was a sharp contrast to the welcoming light and airy lobby. Large, curved windows on the first floor bounced natural light off the creamy walls and natural stone floors as the concierge welcomed the three of them. Lucien tried once more to get her to upgrade so that they would be on the same floor and again she resisted.

Edwin apologized again and explained the brain damage that his friend needed to suffer from. "He's like a giant gnat. He'll just keep irritating you until he's smacked away."  
"I'll keep that in mind." She glared at the blonde currently involved with the concierge to get his own key. He flirted with the man just as easily as with her and she realized that Lucien was an equal opportunity. Looks and gender didn't seem to matter very much.

After the men insisted on escorting her to her room and the door closed behind her, Serena looked around in wonder for a minute. Natural light streamed through the open curtains and reflected off the soft, pale fabrics that covered everything. A small desk as well as a lounge area, with loveseat and ottoman occupied the space with the bed, but for some reason it didn't feel crammed in. A remote sat on the desk and she assumed it went to the TV that was built into the wall, until she pushed one of the buttons. The drapes closed and she jumped a little. Another button made the lights dim to a soft glow.

"Okay, that's cool." She said to herself as reopened the drapes and set the remote down.

In the bathroom, she was amazed again. The walls and floor were covered in a light brown marble with shots of color throughout it that made the space relaxing while still holding more light. The shower and tub were separate, allowing for a deeper tub than you could get with a combo. She looked at the bath and promised to use that before she left.

Serena finally got the shower that she had been craving. The toiletries provided by the hotel were nice, but not really her taste and the red head was reminded that she needed to find a store and purchase some of her own. Feeling pampered by the soft robe and slippers that had been provided, she still laid the towel she had used on the floor and soaked up the water from the marble.

Back in the bedroom, she forced her fingers through her hair in the absence of a brush and scrunched it a little to make it curl. The red head prayed that it would look halfway decent when it dried.

Comfort was definitely the priority, when picking out clothes, as she planned to explore the area surrounding the hotel to find a store. Pulling out jeans and an old favorite button down shirt, Serena laughed at the fact that the first thing she went for was black. She went light on the make up again and felt the need to slip on some bangles to dress it up a bit as she rolled the long sleeves up to her elbows. After finding her sunglasses in the bottom of her purse, and slipping on a pair of flip flops, she decided that she was ready and set off for the elevator.

Checking that she had her key, Serena looked up as the elevator doors opened in the hallway and saw Lucien's smiling face.

"Perfect timing. I was just coming to see if you were ready to explore yet."

She hesitated before getting on the elevator he held open. "You're not one of those guys that picks up foreign women in the airport and shows them around before killing them and dumping their bodies in the Thames, are you?"

The blonde looked shocked and frowned. "I don't...think so."

"Just checking."


	32. Chapter 32

Author's Note: Just blame ThriftThick on You tube. She's making me not finish the book because I'm listening to her and she's hilarious and she steals my focus while aiding my procrastination.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and the demons that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirty Two

 _'There is so much light in her,'_ my master had said while he looked out his office window over the family lands that he ruled. _'Could she chase the shadows from this place? Or would the shadows devour her in the end?'_

Ciel closed the book and ran a hand over his face. He didn't want to admit that reading about his parents' courtship bothered him. Taking into account his own arranged marriage, it wasn't so surprising that his grandfather had made a similar arrangement with Lord Durless. However, Durless had two daughters and to make it worse, neither had been specified in the official contract.

 _'At least I didn't have to look Lizzy in the face and decide between her or her sister.'_

However, his father's comments about his aunt had been unexpected. The Earl didn't know that his predecessor had courted Madame Red as well, and for a long time, she was in the lead. Although she had been nervous around people where Rachel was outgoing, Angelina had the brains and the determination that fit with the Phantomhive house. But, unlike Ciel, his father had craved the light that Rachel offered and the normalcy she could give the former Guard Dog of the Queen.

 _'Why didn't she hate them? How could Madame Red smile and spend so much time here with them, with me, knowing she had almost been Countess and then was cast aside for her sister? Was that the beginning of her madness? Having what she wanted within reach and then it was snatched away by someone just as beloved as the husband that she had wanted?'_ Ciel sat back in the chair near the fireplace and looked into the flames as his mind turned to the past.

Instead of snow on the ground, the scent of spring flowers filled the air. His mother was seated at the table set up in the center of the garden. He could still hear her laughter as his aunt chased him around the small hedge maze. The weak lungs he lived with had been inherited from her and Rachel was never able to run in the garden with him. At the time, it didn't matter to the little lord as his aunt finally caught him, cuddling the small body that she held.

 _'Madame Red always had a better mind for games anyway.'_

He remembered looking up as another figure came down the stairs and his mother's brilliant smile. He could still hear Vincent greeting Rachel and say something to Angelina. Knowing what he did now, Ciel could remember how his aunt's arms had stiffened around him before she smiled and set the boy down to run to his father.

Shaking his head, the Earl picked the book back up and opened it again.

'But there was someone else that had noticed the light that Lady Rachel exuded and wanted it for himself. Watching the two of them try to top each other with gifts and exploits was quite amusing.'

A knock on the door preceded Tanaka into the room. The older man bowed.

"Forgive me for disturbing you, Lord Phantomhive. There is a guest here to see you. He said that he was sent for."

Ciel looked back to the book and saw Tanaka notice it as well. He snapped the cover shut.

"There is something that I wish to discuss later, Tanaka."

"Of course, my lord."

"Show them in. Hopefully, whoever she has decided to foist on me will leave quickly."

"I assure you that I come in good will, Earl Phantomhive." The door was pushed open the rest of the way and Ciel stood as the man entered his office. He was dressed in the black robes of a priest and the teen stifled a groan as Tanaka left them alone. Eyes of the clearest blue sparkled from a timeless face. Silver, gray hair was slicked back, not unlike Tanaka's. Peace seemed to surround the man...and an aura of power.

"There is something that I wish to discuss with you. Now, that your butler has left your employ."

********************A Demon's Mate********************

Night found Serena back in her hotel room, trying to sleep. Unfortunately, after the disaster of the evening she felt more like she was hiding in her room. After finding a regular department store, because Serena refused to pay the prices that Harrods was asking, she was finally able to get her own toiletries as well as a map and guidebook to London. Edwin had told her that she already had two guidebooks and pointed to himself and his partner. For some reason, she hadn't wanted to tell him what she was looking for. They managed to find her an ATM that would accept her card and let her take money out for a fee near the store as well.

The men had then escorted her to a little hole in the wall restaurant that was off the beaten path. The red head admitted that they had scored with that one. Filled with natives, the friendly staff and live jazz music proved why they didn't need the tourist traffic. Once their food had arrived, she found the fare was delicious and understood why the restaurant was full. Even so, she still slipped into her own thoughts. The plan she had arrived with was beginning to sound more and more stupid.

 _'What the hell was I thinking? This city has grown exponentially in the last hundred years. And it would be a different time frame to get from point A to point B in a car instead of a carriage.'_

She didn't notice that neither man had eaten much, lost in her own thoughts, until they were ready to leave. When questioned, Lucien had smirked and said that he had been distracted by the view. The blonde had then suggested that they take a trip to the London Eye. He didn't notice the color drain from her face.

Several times in the cab, on the way over, she tried to talk him out of it. Even Edwin tried to say something when he saw how hard the red head was trying to persuade his partner to do something else.

"You have to see the view at night from the Eye. It'll take your breath away." He smiled and helped her out of the car. "It's a perfect, clear night. London's weather is unpredictable so this is definitely the time to go."

After standing in line, Serena convinced herself that there was nothing wrong with a trip in the Eye. Every person that got on in front of them, she saw them get back off again. There was nothing to be worried about. Edwin had watched her carefully, seeing that her attention had drifted from them.

Until it was their turn and somehow, they got a car to themselves.

As the car went higher and higher, Serena felt her panic do the same. Every time she felt the smallest jerk from the capsule, her heart skipped a beat and her chest tightened a little more. They were almost to the top when Lucien had pulled her to the glass.

"Look at that! There is no better view in London."

It was too much and all her calm flew out the window. She jerked away, feeling unable to take a full breath. Edwin stood from the little bench slowly, making sure to not knock the car too much.

"You're afraid of heights."

The blonde watched in horror as they both heard her heart speed up to a dangerous rate. "It's not really the heights, it's the fall. And really, it's not the fall it's the splat at the end."

Lucien looked around and jumped to stand in front of the largest opening. "Don't look. Everything is fine. There is nothing to see here."

Edwin looked at him like he was an idiot. The entire car was see through to provide views everywhere you looked. There was no way to cover them all. It jerked again and the red head let out a small scream, gripping the handrail next to her.

"Serena, there is nothing to worry about." Edwin kept his voice soft. "There has never been an accident on the Eye. It's perfectly safe."

"Knowing my luck, I'd be the first."

He put a hand on her arm and felt the tiny shivers that racked her small form, as well as the cold sweat that had covered her skin. She started wheezing, obviously not listening to a word that he was saying. _'Forgive me, Elder.'_

The brunette pulled Serena gently into his arms, letting the girl hide her face in his chest. Edwin glared at Lucien who was still horrified at her reaction to what he thought had been a good idea. The red head didn't notice when the man who held her levitated a few inches off the floor to stop her from feeling the motion of the car.

"When we get back around, I'll signal the operator to let us off."

She nodded against the larger man's chest and Edwin ignored the dampness that seeped through his shirt. Lucien came over and put a hand on her back. He ignored the flashing warning from the other demon and concentrated on her. Letting a little of his power out, he hoped that it would take her mind off her fear. The red head gasped and he felt her muscles loosen a fraction.

When there was only two cars between them and the bottom, the brunette pulled away from Serena and produced a handkerchief out of his breast pocket. She seemed to have calmed little by little the closer they came to the platform.

She took it quietly, not meeting either of the men in the eye. Edwin went to the door while Lucien kept his hand on Serena's back, letting more of his power surround her. It was helping, but not much. After being in the presence of an Elder and feeling his power, his underling didn't have the strength to pull her under.

As they reached the platform, Edwin was quick to open the door and both stood back to let the red head out first. Edwin felt no small measure of pride as she stepped down slowly with her head high. She was regal as any queen, even with red, puffy eyes and a small hitch still in her breath. Lucien rushed forward to grab a cab that was dropping people off as the other man escorted Serena past the line of people waiting to get on the Eye.

She was put between the two demons on the silent ride back to the hotel. Beside the red head, Lucien kept opening his mouth to say something, but closed it just as quickly. Edwin remained a silent rock on her other side as the girl looked straight ahead. At the hotel, the brunette had gotten out first and paid the driver. Lucien helped Serena out of the back, trying to smile but she walked into the lobby without a word. The atmosphere that surrounded the three on the elevator ride to the fifth floor was stifling. The men insisted on walking the girl to her room and she had simply nodded.

"Serena," Lucien started when she opened the door to her room. "I...I'm sorry."

The red head gave him a watery smile. "Its fine, Lucien. Don't worry about it."

Closing the door, she leaned against the smooth metal and slid to the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Tears of embarrassment, instead of fear, started to fall and she buried her head.

 _'That's why he's not here. I'm pathetic. How could I think that I could be with a demon when I can't even handle a damn oversized farris wheel?'_

Even now, hours later, Serena still cringed as she tossed and turned on the soft mattress. Sleep was proving to be elusive and with every shadow that danced on the wall, she searched for a man in black to be standing in the room. The smallest sound made her sit up, straining to hear a cultured English accent on the wind. But, each time she was disappointed by an empty room. Anger began to take over and she jerked the sheet back to slide out of the bed. Her laptop, as well as the map and guidebook laid on the small desk the room offered.

 _'The monk said that I had to go back to the beginning to find the ending. Fine. If that damn demon doesn't want to be with me anymore, than he can say that to my face. My plan may be stupid, but it's all that I have and I'll make it work.'_

She looked at the map and started to mark off areas to begin her search. One of the books had a list of noble houses of historical note that were open for tours during the tourist season and she figured their neighborhoods would be the place to start. Serena fired up the computer and decided to find any information that she could on the areas listed in the guidebook.

***********************A Demon's Mate**********************

"What do you mean, now that my butler has left?"

The silver haired man smiled. "I know very well that your butler was not human."

Ciel put a hand to the eye patch he still wore but quickly dropped it. Some instinct told him to run, but he refused. He felt the same instinct to deny leap to his throat but he ignored it. There was something in the priest's eyes that told the Earl that he knew exactly what his relationship with Sebastian had been.

"What of it?" The teen's voice was harsh when it came out and he rubbed his throat.

"This is your second chance, Lord Phantomhive. I am here to guide you through it." He smiled.

"Second chance for what?"

"To save yourself."

"To save myself." The Earl laughed. "I already saved myself. When I accepted Sebastian's offer."

"No, you damned yourself." The man said it easily, as though it was the most normal conversation. "Now, you have the chance to correct that mistake."

"Right. I damned myself to dying at the hand of some crazy occult leader? To having my childhood ripped from me and torn to shreds? To having to be the head of my non-existent family at the age of ten. To dodging multiple attempts on my life while doing the work of an adult. To remembering every day what was done to me by some disgusting man that had status high enough that everyone looked away from what he had done over and over? To watching my parents be murdered on my birthday?" Ciel stood, glaring at the man. "No, all of that came from something else. Someone else's plan for my life."

"Life is a challenge, that you have faced admirably. You have rebuilt your home and family, served your queen and kept the purity and nobility of your soul through it all. Yours is one that will be most welcome in heaven or even to be reborn and lead again."

"Oh, save it for someone else!" Ciel's hand cut through the air. "I don't want your salvation. You say that I have a chance to save my soul now? I don't want it. I don't want your heaven, priest, and I sure as hell don't want to live this over again."

"Perhaps, your next life would be kinder one."

"Look at the world around you. There is no kinder life. You said that my soul is still pure enough? Fine. I will spend the rest of my life, which I am certain will be incredibly short without Sebastian, staining my soul as much as possible. I don't want your God and I will make sure that I can pass eternity as far away from Him as possible."

The stranger's face darkened. "I had hoped that you would think about your situation more carefully, Phantomhive. Perhaps, I choose the wrong time to approach you."

"I have spent the last five years thinking about it. And all those years have only cemented my resolve in my choice. You're wasting your time here, my answer will not change, and I'll ask you to leave now."

The man watched Ciel carefully before rising from his seat and walking to the door. He didn't say another word as he opened and closed it softly behind him. No one saw him disappear from the hallway and reform on the ridge overlooking the estate, glaring at the house.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?"

*********************A Demon's Mate********************

The morning dawned bright and clear. Serena was still hunched over the desk when the brilliant pinks and yellows and oranges of a London sunrise flooded the room. She took a minute to watch the skyline through her window before going back to the computer screen in front of her. There hadn't really been much for her to find.

 _'Evidently, Ciel wasn't the only noble to like his secrets. It does make sense, I admit, to not put all that out there. But, I should have found something by now. Instead, it's like some kind of black hole. Even the areas of London where the mansions are located are not listed anywhere. What if I had been some kind of architecture student? Although, I guess I would go through a university then. They would have staff that have lived here forever and know where everything is.'_

She growled in frustration and resisted the urge to bang her head against the desktop.

 _'Alright. I know that Miss Nina's shop was not far from Hyde Park, a few blocks at the most. Then, we didn't travel more than forty-five minutes to the shop from the townhouse in a carriage. Taking in the city traffic, a car may not be faster than a horse.'_ She pulled up the map of the park on the internet and looked at the various landmarks, settling on Hyde Park. _'I didn't go that far in. The old carriage road is marked, but I didn't see any carriages going through the park. It was mostly people on horseback. So, I would guess that the walking trails are the same and the trails that look wider were once for horses. I really want to believe that it was this Hyde Park Corner. Which is incidentally, very close to the hotel. Miss Nina was a tailor to the nobles, of course her shop would have been on a good street. It would make sense for her to have been on the Mayfair side of London, which is right next to the Corner.'_

Serena pulled her map out and boxed off an area of streets.

 _'I have twenty-nine days left that I can be in the country without a visa. I'll start here and branch out.'_

Happy to have a plan of action, the red head picked up the room service menu and looked for something that caught her attention in the breakfast options. As she was browsing, the alarm she had set went off and she hurried to silence the annoying beep. The girl finally decided on the full service since she planned on hitting the pavement all day and called it in.

Serena folded the map to show the section that she planned on searching and stuck it in the guidebook before sliding both into her cross body bag while she waited. Going to the window, she was grateful that it opened and let her feel the humidity that was already starting to make itself known. She pulled a tank top from her bag and a fresh pair of jeans out of the pile that spilled out of her suitcase before heading for the bathroom for a quick shower.

A knock on the door stopped the girl in her tracks and she threw the clothes on the bed to answer it. Figuring that it was the room service that she ordered, she didn't hesitate to open the door. Instead of a bellhop, Lucien's smiling face greeted her.

"Morning! Edwin and I were about to go down to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast. We wanted you to join us."

"Oh, I just ordered room service." She put a hand to her hair, that she was certain looked like hell. "And I need to take a shower before I go anywhere."

The blonde's smile faded a few watts but was still dazzling. "Alright. Well, why don't you figure out where you want to go today and we'll all meet up afterward?"

"Isn't your boss going to get upset? I mean, you two slacking off to show me around London."

"Who says I can't work too. We had planned to call on one of his business contacts today as well as showing you around. The area is ripe with interesting places to explore." He smiled again but there something else there. Some meaning she wasn't catching.

"Okay, okay." She shook her head and watched him wave as he took off down the hall.

 _'There is something not right about those two. I haven't taken a single step since I got on that plane without one or both of them with me. There are obviously easier targets if he just wanted to get laid, so why are they both glued to me?'_ Closing the door, Serena couldn't help but be suspicious and waited a few beats with her ear to the door. She heard the door next to her room open and close instead of the elevator. A few seconds later, she still hadn't heard the elevator.

Backing away from the door, she grabbed the clothes from the bed and decided to skip the shower. Dressing quickly, the girl had just slipped into her shoes when another knock came on the door. The bellhop wheeled in a cart with a covered tray and a rose bud in a glass vase with a smile. After signing the bill and tipping the man, Serena looked longingly at the meal but went to the TV instead. She turned a news channel up louder than was needed but not enough to really disturb anyone and went to the door.

The red head turned the knob as slowly as possible to make sure that there was no noise coming from the tumbler. Once in the hallway, she shut the door with the same care. Another door opened down the hall and she saw a couple exit with a little boy. The small family went toward the elevator but Serena noticed a stairwell in the other direction than the room she suspected Lucien had gone into. Some instinct told her to be careful with this door as well as she opened and slipped through it. After the door was closed silently behind her the red head took off down the stairs.

The stairwell ended with a door into the hallway that led to the lobby. Serena saw Edwin through the doorway into the bright room and ducked in the other direction.

 _'Alright, that is definitely not right. He's staking out the lobby.'_

The man started to look up and she ducked into the door next to her marked for employees. The same girl that had helped her check in looked up in surprise from another cart that was ready to go out.

"Miss Walton, is there something that you needed?" The blonde smiled easily and folded her hands in front of her sharp black suit.

"I...There is someone that I know in the lobby and I don't want them to know that I'm here. There wouldn't happen to be another way out of the hotel, would there?"

The woman blinked at her and Serena threw up her hands.

"It's an ex of mine. He and his new blonde, leggy, trophy wife are checking in. If they see me she's going to go off and say that I was stalking him or something and it'll be a big ol' mess. Even though I was here first."

"But didn't you come with Mr. Michaels? I'm sure he'd be the perfect one to show off to them."

"You seem to know him."

The woman blushed and Serena figured that she had been one of those that kept Lucien's attention for a time before.

 _'Well, at least I know he's not a psycho killer or something. Glad I didn't tell her that he's the one that I'm trying to get away from.'_

"Come this way. There is a service entrance that you can use."

"Thank you." The red head followed her through a small maze of carts and staff and laundry tubs full of lines. Finally, the concierge pushed against a door and sunlight streamed in as well as the sound of traffic. Serena smiled at the woman and thanked her again before slipping out onto the street.

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

An hour later, Lucien still hadn't heard anything from Serena's room. After the bellhop delivered her breakfast, he didn't hear the shower start and figured she was just taking her time. He could hear the news through the wall still and told himself to wait. He had told her to figure out where she wanted to go today, perhaps she was just making up her mind.

His thoughts shifted to the phone call last night from the Elder. Of course, he and Edwin had had to explain where they had taken Serena and if she had enjoyed the night out. Everything had been fine until they had gotten to the end of the night and his partner made Lucien explain what had happened on the Eye. It was his idea after all.

The Elder had been livid and blamed them both. He had trusted them to look after his mate and instead they had pushed her into some kind of attack. Lucien had tried to defend himself, telling the Elder that Serena had made no mention of her fear of heights, but the older demon knew his underling's personality well and figured out quickly that Lucien had pushed past her protests.

A shudder went through Lucien as he remembered the other demon's threats if Serena were placed in such a situation again. He had never heard his Elder be so inventive.

"Oh, come on. I know that she is in a hurry to find the Phantomhive manor. So why is she taking so long this morning?" With a sigh, he pushed out of the chair he occupied and went back into the hallway.

Knocking on the red head's door, he ran a hand through his hair and waited with a smile for her to answer. But she didn't. He didn't hear any movement in the room and knocked again. Again, there was no answer. Concentrating on one space in a crowded hotel was difficult for a demon of his level and he had to put his hand on the door while blocking out everything else to do it.

The room was empty.

"Damn it!" Lucien tore down the hallway and to the elevator.

While he waited for the car to reach the ground floor he tried to figure out how he had missed Serena leaving. He had scanned every being that walked past his door. Edwin was still in the lobby, carefully watching his surroundings when the doors opened. The other demon quickly noticed the panic on his partner's face and stood to meet him halfway.

"She's gone."

"What?!"

Lucien looked around them and dropped his voice to a whisper. "The room is empty, and I don't feel her in the hotel."

Edwin stopped and used his own senses, not believing his partner.

"How could you let her get past you?" The brunette whispered back harshly.

"It's not like I planned it." He rocked on his feet a little. The Elder was already pissed at him, if he found out that Lucien had lost his mate, who was now wandering London alone...he didn't want to think about it.

"The Elder isn't going to be happy." Edwin looked down on the other demon.

"Shut up! She got past you too, remember."

The other demon blanched and looked around them. He stopped on the blonde that had taken over the desk a little bit earlier.

"Work on the woman. See if she saw Serena leave and which direction she went in."

"Right." Lucien took a moment to compose himself and walked to the desk with an easygoing stride.

The brunette planned while his partner worked. Finally, the other demon came back with some cockamamie story about an ex and the girl letting Serena out a side door, almost an hour ago.

"Elder did say that she was an accomplished liar. So, she's out in the city then."

"Apparently."

"We need to start looking." Edwin headed out the main door with his partner right behind him. On the street, they stopped and tried to catch a scent of the woman but there had been too many people and too much time had passed. "Did she say anything about places that she wanted to go?"

"Not really. She was supposed to decide that while she was eating." Lucien grabbed the brunette's heavy arm. "Edwin, the map she bought. She has to be trying to find the manor on her own."

The soldier's jaw worked in irritation. "That would explain why she was so insistent on buying it. We are expected today anyway. We'll start there."

"Hopefully, she has a clue of where it is. If we can't find her by tonight, we'll have to inform the Elder."

His face turned grim and several people passed them quickly. "And it will mean death for both of us."

*******************A Demon's Mate*******************

The sun shined brightly on the red head as she walked down streets filled with heavy gates and large mansions. Almost every gate had a family coat of arms worked into the rod iron and Serena started to believe that maybe her plan hadn't been all that stupid. However, not one of them had looked familiar.

Not giving up, she crossed to another street while marking through the one she had just been down on her map. A memory surfaced and she stopped to turn around.

 _'We turned right out of the manor the day that we went to Miss Nina's. Then we went down the street a ways and turned left. That's right where the shopping district of Mayfair is now. This is going to work!'_

Turning back to the road with a smile, her steps hurried as she looked up at each house. She didn't bother looking at the ones on the other side of the street. If her memory was correct, it would definitely be on the side she was walking on. Another two roads and another two marks didn't kill her enthusiasm. Something about the area was starting to feel familiar.

 _'That's it.'_

She looked at a large brick mansion, losing her breath in her excitement. The front lawn had different landscaping but it was without a doubt the house she had stayed in with Ciel and Sebastian. Her hand rested on the gate unconsciously as she stared.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

Serena jumped back at the sound of the guard's voice as he met her on the other side of the gate.

"I'm sorry," she took her hands off the rod iron. "It's a beautiful house."

The red head stepped back from the gate and opened her book again as she turned away. On a second thought, she wanted to make sure that she had the street right and turned back.

"Actually," the guard came back, as stern as ever when she spoke. "I'm sorry, but I'm a little lost. Could you tell me how to get back to the main road?"

She smiled sheepishly and saw the man's stern face start to crack. He held out a hand through the gate for her map.

"I've been marking off the streets that I've already been down but when I try to go back to the main district, I end up in the middle of residential houses."

The man looked at her strangely and then back to the map. He turned the paper upside down and she winced.

"Well, now I feel stupid."

"You're actually here. The streets that you have been down are on the other side." He pointed to the street they were really on. "Go up two streets and then cut to the right. Keep going until you hit the shops."

"Thank you." Serena accepted the book back through the gate and headed off. So not to seem any more suspicious than she was sure she already did, the red head kept looking between the houses and the book in her hand. She waited until she was sure that the guard had gone back to his post before turning around to look at the house again. Making a big circle over the street, she smiled at the plan that was working so well.

After following the man's directions, Serena found herself in the midst of specialty boutiques and little street cafe's. She took a seat at one of the outdoor tables and pulled her sketchbook out of her purse while she waited. The girl had managed to get a look at the crest that had been worked into the rod iron of the gate before leaving and set about copying it down. If the same family that had taken over the townhouse had been given the lands and manor as well, it might be easier to find.

 _'Although, with the lack of information that I found this morning it may not help at all. It doesn't look like the residential area has changed much, just expanded. It's the outskirts that will be the problem getting through.'_

"Well, I'll be damned. They weren't lying."

Serena looked up at the familiar voice and gasped.

"Ronald?!"

***********************A Demon's Mate**********************

"Why do you have to be so difficult, Lord Phantomhive?"

"It is part of what makes him interesting."

The priest turned to see the Earl's former butler, still dressed in his uniform, coming out of the treeline. He turned His back, there was nothing the demon could do to Him anyway.

"I thought I had made my point."

"You did."

"Then, why are you still here? You're contract is broken, there is no reason for you to stay on the Phantomhive lands."

"You want him to die that badly? There have been more coming each night."

The being beside Sebastian said nothing and the demon laughed.

"You really don't understand, do you? The souls that I have contracted with may have been pure at their core, however, they all carried the same hatred for the divine that the Earl does. You wouldn't have gotten them anyway because they would never have accepted you or your plan. There are some that find peace in the eating of their soul because they know that it is truly the end. No heaven or hell. No reincarnation. No wandering the world as a bodiless spirit. They embrace the abyss and find comfort in the darkness."

"It seems that I have lost this one anyway." He glared down at the estate, looking at the window of the room He knew Ciel still occupied.

Sebastian nodded.

"You still haven't told me why you are still here."

"I promised my mate that I would watch over Lord Phantomhive."

"Is that the only reason?"

It was the demon's turn not to answer and the man laughed. The air filled with the musical sound from His throat as He disappeared.

"So be it."


	33. Chapter 33

Author's Note: Going through this chapter, I remembered that I had an alternate ending for this fic. I will get that written up and put with the ending when we get there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

Chapter Thirty Three

Serena stood with a scream and threw her arms around the stunned reaper.

"I didn't think that you would be so happy to see me." Ronald pulled away as she laughed.

"Are you kidding? You're being here means that I'm not crazy."

"So, no hard feelings about the...uh...," He tapped a finger against his chest.

"It's not like you were the one who shot me. And there was really nothing that you could have done, was there?"

He smiled sadly and shook his head.

"There you go."

Ronald waved to the other chair. "Do you mind?"

"No! Please, sit."

She took her own seat, a goofy smile still on her face. As she giggled to herself a little, the reaper frowned.

"What's so funny?"

"It's nothing. It's just that I ran into you and I found the townhouse this morning. Everything is kind of working out. And I thought that my plan was stupid."

He looked down to the map sticking out of her book. Slowly pulling the folded paper out, he looked at her markings.

"I figured that I could find the manor by backtracking from the townhouse."

Ronald flipped the map open and picked up her pen from the table. She watched as he drew a line from their current location, down several streets and turns, finally ending with a circle on the very edge of the city.

"London has damn near swallowed it. But the family that has it now, won't sell so much as an acre. The crown has supported their position, saying that their land are taken care of and the family can still afford the upkeep, there is no reason to push them to sell what they don't need to."

"The family that has it now?"

"Surely you know that they are not Phantomhive anymore?"

"Of course. If there really was a Phantomhive family in England, they would be bombarded by rabid fangirls and conspiracy theorists by the dozens."

"By the hundreds." He laughed and handed her the pen back. "I still think that we should have been compensated for the use of our names and likenesses, but what are you going to do? It's not like we can take it to court."

"Ronald...who made Kuroshitsuji?"

"Yana Toboso."

"You know what I mean."

"I think you know that if you just think about it."

"So, he's in Japan." Serena threw her pen down. "I just left there!"

"I'm a reaper, Serena. I don't follow the movements of demons. I don't know where he is now. All I know is that I have not run into him since the end of his contract."

Something about the tone of his voice made Serena nervous. "What happened, Ronald?"

He looked around, obviously uncomfortable. "Things got a little bad after you...left."

She waited but he didn't seem inclined to say anymore. Suddenly a waiter hurried up to their table and set a menu in front of the two of them.

"I apologize for your wait. Can I get you anything?"

The red head looked up with a smile. "I'll just have a coke."

"Tea, whatever Gerard's special is today."

The waiter promised their drinks in a flash before rushing off and Serena turned back to the reaper. "You come here a lot?"

"I like this place. As the city and population have grown, the reapers have divided it into sections. You happen to be in mine."

"Well, excuse me." They both laughed. "Where is your little book?"

"Please. It's the 21st century, Serena." Ronald pulled an iPhone from his pocket.

"Reaper's use iPhones now?"

"Now, we get a daily email." He slid it back into the breast pocket of his coat.

"That's just weird." She looked at his phone longingly. "And I miss mine."

"Miss yours?"

"Yeah, when I started to come up with some kind of plan, I looked in my purse and there was no phone. Everything else that I had taken to the theater that night was right where I left it. Everything but my phone."

"Something must have happened to it." He smirked and she had a feeling that he knew something that she didn't.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Ronald smiled, trying to look dumb.

"What happened? To Ciel, Sebastian, all of them? What happened to my phone?"

"Why don't you look where you left it?" He looked down as the waiter set their drinks down. "As for everyone else, I told you things got bad after you. That's...all I can tell you."

The waiter came back with their drinks and took their orders for lunch.

"Why do I keep hitting a brick wall?"

"Because you keep asking the wrong people."

"Then who's the right person?"

The reaper grinned. "Hear any good jokes lately?"

*******************A Demon's Mate*****************

Ciel looked up as he was about to open Tanaka's journal again when he heard carriage wheels coming up the drive. He slammed the book against the desktop before spinning around to find out who was here now. Despite what he had told the priest, the man's words were echoing through his mind and making him question his decision. It only added to his irritation. The setting sun showed the Midford carriage stopping in front of the front stairs.

Out the window, he watched Snake handing his aunt and fiancé out of their carriage. The Earl admitted that death did not seem that bad at this moment. Both women were still dressed in mourning black as they made their way into the manor. For a moment, he wondered about the chances of staying in his office and leaving them to their own devices.

"Ciel!"

He jerked at Lizzy's yell, abandoning his plan. There was no way that he would get out of entertaining them for a while.

The door to his office door burst open and Lizzy was right behind, a blur of black fabric and golden hair. She was in tears as she threw herself at her fiancé.

"Oh, Ciel! I can't believe that Sebastian would leave you too." She cried while pulling away. "It's just not right."

"Come downstairs. The estate office is no place to hold a conversation." Lady Frances huffed and disappeared from the doorway. Taking a last look at the journal, the Earl pushed himself from his seat with a scowl. Lizzy attached herself to his side as he came around the large desk. She offered him a watery smile and Ciel was reminded of his father's words to Tanaka about his mother.

 _'Could she chase the shadows from this place? Or would the shadows swallow her in the end as well?'_

In the salon, Frances had settled herself on the sofa and presided over the tea tray brought by Tanaka. She waited until they had all chosen their seats before handing out the cups.

"Tanaka has told me that Sebastian has left the manor." She took a sip of the tea and admitted that it wasn't as good as Sebastian's.

"That is correct."

"I have already called an agency and they will be sending over candidates for you to consider in the morning."

"I can chose my own staff."

"Were you not the one that chose that butler in the first place?"

The glaring match was interrupted by Lizzy. "Mother, can't you just let this go?"

Frances seemed amazed that her daughter would say something against her and Ciel mirrored her disbelief.

"No, I cannot. Running a household is the job of a wife or female relative. I'm certain that you haven't even considered Sebastian's replacement, have you?" She waited for his reluctant nod. "That is what I thought. Most lords just think that the house runs itself. While I am willing to admit that Sebastian knew what he was doing, he was wrong in letting you think that. The servants need guidance, especially yours, and Tanaka cannot simply take over again. Tanaka was an excellent butler, but the fact of the matter is that he is retired for a reason. The night that my brother and sister-in-law died, Tanaka suffered tremendous injury himself. He may look fine, but Angelina told us all that he does not have the stamina that he used to. You cannot expect him to just move back into his former position."

Ciel looked away as she hit on exactly what he had been expecting.

"The title of House Steward was just a vanity title that I know you gave him to keep Tanaka around. There really isn't any responsibility attached to it. It is the position that he requires now. You need a new butler, as soon as possible. I will take over running the household until you choose one."

"Aunt..."

"No."

The Earl finally snapped and threw down the delicate cup and saucer, enjoying the sound of it's shattering ringing through the room.

"Enough! I've had enough of you thinking that you can just walk in here anytime that you like and take over. I'm sick of you turning my household upside down every time you condescend to come here. I don't need you to run my life. You're not my mother!"

"Well someone has to be," She yelled back.

Ciel stopped and Lizzy could only watch as her mother seemed to deflate a little.

"We are your family, Ciel. After your parents died, you seemed to think that you didn't have any family left, but you did. I tried to step in, but you were closer to Angelina and accepted her more than you would me. I was always the fencing instructor that you didn't like because I pushed you harder than anyone else would. I stepped back and let her be your family because she was the only one that you were comfortable around. But, she would just let you do whatever you liked. Someone had to be the one to push you, as well as keep you in line, and I was regulated to that role. The teacher is all that you would ever see me as or let me be." Frances tried to pull herself back together and took a moment to smooth non-existent wrinkles in her gown. The teenagers were surprised to see a single tear slip down the older woman's cheek before it was brushed away.

Ciel sunk slowly back into his chair. He didn't know what to say. She was right. He was closer to Madame Red because she always spent more time at the manor when he was child than Frances did. She was Vincent's older sister and already had her own family to worry about. But Madame Red had only married less than a year before his parents' deaths and had spent a great deal of time visiting her sister and nephew before her marriage. He had never been close to Frances, always being a little frightened of her before his parents' deaths and irritation was added afterward.

The Earl remembered that after Madame Red's death, his aunt's visits had increased, but he was nothing more than irritated by the interruption and scared that she would find something in his home to lecture him about. But, during every visit, she would smile at him or try to hug him... after the reprimand.

****************A Demon's Mate******************

"How come no one has found this?" Serena stared up at the same sign proclaiming the Undertaker's funeral parlor that was on the same street with the same coffins sitting outside.

Ronald's laughed turned into a barely disguised cough. "Well, people who have lived in this neighborhood forever think that the mangaka ripped the character off him and people who don't know him, just think that he's an awesome cosplayer."

"Does he still have business?"

"Oh yeah. People love his hand made coffins."

"This is just too weird."

"Well, shall we?" He opened the door and waited for her to step inside.

The interior was much the same as the exterior. Coffins were still line up against the walls. Shelves still held little urns. The only difference was none of the coffins were on the floor with an occupant.

A giggle came out of the back room behind the counter. "I'll be right with you. Please, feel free to explore my hand-made coffins."

"I've already been in one, thank you."

A silver head, topped with a black, flowing hat, popped out of the door to the back room.

"And it was one of my best work." Undertaker giggled into his same, long robes as he stepped toward the red head. "I was wondering when you would bother to come see me again."

Serena flung her arms around him. "If I had known you were here, I would have come here first."

"Liar." He flicked her nose. "You've been looking for something else. Someone else."

"Do you know where Sebastian is?"

"I guess I could just answer that." He put a finger to his lips. "I haven't seen Mr. Butler in quite a while. I'd say it's been about two decades so my information is not very relevant. I can't really charge for information that is out-dated."

"Please, I'll take it."

"The last I saw of him, the demon you call Sebastian was finishing a contract and headed to America."

Serena sighed and hung her head. "So he's not here."

"Maybe, maybe not." He giggled. "I only said that I hadn't seen him."

The red head looked to Ronald but found that the reaper wasn't paying attention to them as he was on the phone. Undertaker looked at the other man as well and laughed again.

"So, what are your plans now?"

"I'm trying to find the manor."

Undertaker took on an uncharacteristic seriousness. "You know that they are not all there waiting for you. The Earl's household died long ago."

"I figured that. But, it's the only direction that I have."

"Well, I guess I can tell you one thing."

Serena's attention was instantly captured and she grabbed his hand while leaning in close. Undertaker put a finger to his lips that held a smirk.

"Mr. Butler broke his contract with the little Earl."

"What?!"

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

In an old mansion, on the outskirts of London, a blonde woman looked up from the dark-haired boy playing with a toy soldier on the fine carpet beside her. A strange breeze was coming through the open window and she felt a shiver go up her spine. Turning back to her son, the woman saw him listening to the wind as well.

 _'He feels it too.'_

"Alex." The boy looked up at his mother with a smile. "Do you hear him too?"

The child nodded, still smiling. "He tells me stories sometimes."

A smooth voice came through the window, carried on the breeze.

"The time has come. She's almost here."

She nodded and stood as the family's butler came into the room.

"My lady, Mr. Michaels and Mr. Phillips are here to see you."

*******************A Demon's Mate*********************

"Sebastian left Ciel?" Serena let go of Undertaker and backed away. "But, he promised me that he would stay with him."

"He broke their contract. I never said that he left."

Suddenly, the door to the shop burst open and the girl's vision was engulfed in red. Strong arms crushed her body as she was lifted from the floor and spun around the room. Voices could be heard around them, one of them yelling, but the red head couldn't hear anything over the blood rushing in her head.

"Sutcliff, enough!"

She was pulled away from the red reaper and crashed into Undertaker. The silver-haired man helped to steady her on her feet while he cackled. She looked over and saw William shaking Grell from his grip on the man's still-long hair, now tied back at his neck. Instead of the red wool coat, he had always wore, Grell now favored a red dress shirt over black pants with a red and black checkerboard tie. He still wore the red, heeled boots that she was familiar with. Serena laughed as she looked at him.

 _'He's the only person in the world that could actually pull off that outfit and make it look good.'_

In comparison, William still wore the same suit he always did. The manager appeared not to have noticed the passing century but could easily fit in with the businessmen that filled all large cities.

 _'A good suit never goes out of style, I suppose.'_

"You two are never going to change, are you?" Serena walked over and pulled both of them into a hug. Her arms pulled William and Grell together, much to the manager's dismay and Grell's delight.

"It is good to see you again, Miss Walton." William pulled away and straightened his tie. "What brings you to London?"

Everyone in the shop glared at him.

"I missed you guys."

Grell snorted. "Missed us? It's only been a few days for you, sweetheart. You've kept us waiting over a century. Sebastian was not a happy demon, let me tell you."

 _'Grell was obsessed with Sebastian. If anyone would know where he is, it'll be him.'_

"Do you know where he is?" She couldn't keep the excitement from her voice.

"Last I had heard, Bassie had taken a new contract in America."

"That damn monk!" Serena stomped her foot.

"What monk?"

"A monk in Tokyo. He looked at my palm and said something about darkness walking the earth and that I had to go back to the beginning to find the ending." She sighed. "I thought that meant going back to the manor. That was the beginning."

Spears kept his voice soft, not wanting to upset her. "The ending he could be speaking of might be the others you left behind. You want to know the 'end' of their story, don't you?"

The girl thought for a moment. "I do. I want to know what happened to all of them and no one will tell me."

"It's not our story to tell."

Undertaker interrupted by sliding an arm over Serena's shoulders. "You know, Mr. Knox here was not the escort I expected you to show up with."

The ploy worked and her depression turned curious. "What do you mean?"

"She was alone when I found her." Ronald came over to stand next to his boss.

"Still so careless with his mate." William adjusted his glasses.

"What are you all talking about?" Serena looked between the three of them.

"There is a rumor around London about the red haired girl from the past was seen walking around with two men."

"Oh, those two. I kind of gave them the slip this morning." The ancient reaper started to giggle and something about it put her on edge. "There's just something not right about them."

Undertaker's head fell back as his loud laughter filled the shop. Urns fell off the shaking shelves and one of the coffin's lids crashed to the floor. Serena had grabbed onto William as he was the only one not alarmed by the occurrence and the other reapers followed her example. He rolled his eyes when Ronald and Grell grabbed onto his legs.

"That's hilarious." Undertaker cackled as he came down from his laughter high.

William sighed and pushed them all away from him. He smoothed his suit down and readjusted his glasses while the red heads still held each other.

"You alone have nothing to fear from those two, I assure you."

"Okay. Well, that makes me feel kinda better. How do you know them?"

"Never mind that." He waved her off. "Ronald showed you how to get to the manor, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then you should be on your way."

"Why are you trying to get rid of her?!" Grell grabbed onto Serena, crushing the other red head to him.

"I'm not," He giggled.

She pushed away from the red reaper and smiled sadly. "But, he knows that is where I want to go and that it's been killing me since Ronald pointed it out on the map."

"That's right," The man sing-songed.

He crooked a finger at Serena. The girl raised an eyebrow, obviously irritated, but came closer anyway. The reaper giggled, getting into her personal space...and held up a set of keys. She looked at them as he jingled the keys above her.

"You have a car?"

"Of course. I still have to get around and a horse is rather conspicuous these days."

She held out her hand and he dropped the keys into it. "It's not a hearse, is it?"

He didn't answer, just giggled.

"Well, you should never look a gift horse in the mouth." Serena smiled and closed her hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Just remember to stay on the right side of the road."

"Which would be the left."

"That's right!"

"Okay, now I just have to mark off where we are and connect it to where I'm going." The red head pulled out her map again.

Undertaker cackled. "Or, you could just use the GPS."

"You have a GPS, in your car?"

"Of course."

"Am I the only one who see something wrong with all this?"

"Nothing stays the same." William spoke sagely and Serena felt a little sad.

"Yeah, I know."

*******************A Demon's Mate*******************

The house was quiet that night after Lizzy and Frances had gone to bed. Ciel sat in his office looking at the book again. The priest's words echoed through his head again and the Earl glared at the simple journal that seemed to mock him. The resolve that he had always been so sure of was crumbling.

He admitted that there was a part of him that screamed to burn the book and the secrets that it contained. It would make everyone happier if he did. Lizzy could have the family that she wanted in a few years, Frances could have her nephew back. He could hire properly trained servants and the manor could become a home again instead of a hiding place or the fortress that he had made it into. The Funtom Company could become his primary focus.

But, his work for the queen would still be there. Could he resolve the cases he was always given without Sebastian? Tanaka had written about some of the cases that his father had solved in the journal. They were all fairly mundane compared to his own.

Then there was the small, private army that he had made in his current servants. He had hired them for a reason. One that he didn't think would just go away. Proper servants wouldn't be able to handle that. The household that had been wiped out that night had proven that.

His head fell back against the chair and his mind drifted in the silence.

Ciel found himself in the gardens. Instead of snow there was green everywhere and the scent of spring flowers. A laugh drew his attention to the hedge maze at the center of the garden. As he entered the maze, the laughing grew louder, pulling him further in. The voice was familiar, so familiar. Through the twists and turns he followed the sound until he reached the heart and the small stone table that was always there.

Three people sat at the table that had been set for four and looked up when he arrived. Vincent and Rachel smiled at their son and each held out a hand to him. His feet moved forward, coming around the table until he could see the face of the third. Sunlight glinted off of red hair as Serena's face mirrored his parents' welcoming smiles.

"Let it go, Ciel. Join us here." She waved to the empty seat.

When he looked at it, the scene shifted to the manor in flames. He ran down the hallway the same as he had done as a child. He tripped again, the same as always, the beam falling just passed his mother's body where he would have been if he had not pitched forward. However, when he looked back this time, it wasn't his mother's body that he had found first, but Serena's. There was another on the other side of her. It took him a moment to realize the body was his own.

Ciel backed up in horror. Never had he seen himself in the nightmare. Was that how he should have died that night? But, he wasn't crushed under the beam. Tripping over his mother's body had saved him from the burning wood. His foot touched something and Ciel looked down to see the body of his mother and his father's just beyond her.

The garden was back, his hand resting on the chair. He watched as his hand started to pull the chair out.

"That's right, Ciel." Rachel smiled at her son and poured tea into the fourth cup. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes, it does!" Ciel shoot up in the chair and looked around his office. His breathing was ragged as he searched the darkened room for a sign of anyone in the room. Calming, he realized that he was alone, the rest of the house was still sleeping.

His gaze rested on the book still sitting on the ottoman in front of him. Ciel reached forward and picked up the book, opening it back to the passage that he had stopped at that morning.

"It does matter."

******************A Demon's Mate*****************

Serena stared at the black Mini Cooper parked in the alley next to Undertaker's parlor. It's lights had blinked at her when she hit the button on the key fob Undertaker had given her. Shaking her head, she opened the door and slid inside. The leather seats were black, of course, and soft as butter. The dials on the dash were all chrome and a little screen was built into it. When she put the key in the ignition, all the little buttons lit up as well as the screen.

"Welcome Undertaker."

Serena looked around the interior at the voice that came out of the speakers. Touching the screen, she was able to find the GPS in the midst of several icons for music. The girl checked the address she had been given before inputting it in the system. The same voice laughed from the speakers and told her to turn left.

"Okay then."

Pulling out onto the street, she didn't see the reapers coming out of the shop and waving behind her.

"You could have just told her that those two were demons sent to guard her." William readjusted his glasses. "You could have also told her that he was still hanging around."

"Where would the fun be in that?" Undertaker giggled. "Besides, we're about to have company."

He turned and the others could see Lucien and Edwin coming up the street.

It took a lot longer than she remembered to get out of the city. Traffic was much heavier and people didn't get out of the way like they used to when a nobleman's carriage came down the lane. Serena found it was fairly easy to stay in the proper lane when she was surrounded by other cars. Once she left the busy city streets, the girl found that it required a little more concentration.

Still, her fingers drifted to the screen and its promise of music as she flew down the English countryside. Britney Spears filled the small interior and she had to pull over from laughing so hard.

 _'Not what I would've guessed but, I'd pay good money to see him singing along with that going down the road.'_ Her fingers shut it off with a wince. _'I don't need music that bad.'_

Pulling back out was easy as the traffic had almost completely dried up. She sighed and smiled as she looked around. The streets of the city cut off abruptly and changed to familiar fields and pastures. Horses still grazed near the road as it narrowed and men were still working the fields. She didn't miss that they all turned to look at her as she passed. A large pillar made her breath catch as she remembered seeing several times from the interior of a carriage.

Serena's hands clutched the steering wheel hard enough to turn her knuckles white. A brick fence with rod iron spikes started just after the pillar. Continuing down the lane, she found the break in the brick that held the gate and driveway. Parking in front of the large barrier, she got out in a daze.

Trees that had already been big were now larger and more full. They completely blocked any view of the mansion from the road. She could see the electrical lights that had replaced the torches that once lined the driveway and the mature rose bushes that now broke them up every five lights.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

The guard didn't surprise her this time and Serena smiled easily. She had thought about what she was going to say the entire drive and never could come up with anything that sounded good.

"I know that this is going to sound a little crazy, but I'd like to visit the family cemetery."

The guard blinked at her, obviously surprised by the request. He looked over and she noticed another man for the first time. Both looked at her strangely and she figured it was because of her request.

"One moment." The man disappeared into one of the guard shacks that stood on either side of the gate. The other guard watched her carefully, but Serena's attention was back on the great house she knew was hidden on the other side of the trees. His partner came back, still unsure. "They'll see you at the house."

She smiled again and got back into the car. The gates opened slowly and her heart jumped into her throat. Serena drove through without looking back. She never saw the paper, containing her own likeness that the guard held as he and his partner watched her car go down the driveway.


	34. Chapter 34

Author's Note: I'm happy that everyone is excited about all the updates. I had lost a few the first time around because of space between updates and, thankfully, this time I only need to edit before posting. I'm thinking of doing a mass update since I stayed up all night and edited almost to the end.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirty Four

The manor house rose from the ground just as Serena remembered it. Like the townhouse, the landscaping and drive were different, tweaked just a little in the last century, but the building was just the same. Even knowing that Ciel and the others were long dead, she couldn't help the feeling of coming home that filled her as she stared at the house from the bottom of the stairway.

A man dressed in uniform opened the car door and pulled the red head out of her thoughts. He held out a hand and Serena smiled before taking it to step out of the car. She tried to stop the panic that was almost overwhelming, feeling like the first day of school, when the man slid into the driver's seat and started to drive away.

The feeling disappeared when she looked up at the house again and the two people that stood at the top of the steps. A smiling, blonde woman, who looked to be in her late thirties, held the hand of a little boy that looked so much like a younger Ciel, it was frightening. The white linen pantsuit and diamonds she was wearing practically screamed Lady of the House and she knew that this was the current Countess. As Serena climbed the stairs, she tried to squash the wish that she had worn something nicer than jeans and a tank top.

"Serena Walton?"

The red head almost tripped on the stairs. "How did you know my name?"

"We've waited a long time for you to show up." The woman smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Malory Carthridge."

Malory pulled the little boy that was hiding behind her leg forward. "And this is Alexander. Say hello, Alex."

The boy kept a tight hold on his mother's hand even as he took a step and bowed. "It is nice to meet you Miss Walton. I am Alexander Carthridge." As soon as he was done, Alex shot back behind his mother.

Serena giggled and peeked around Malory. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Why don't you come inside? We have much to talk about." The blonde waved Serena ahead of her, through the double doors and into the house.

No one saw the two men on the ridge overlooking the manor. Lucien and Edwin cursed when they tried to step forward but couldn't get any further onto the property. Feeling like they were being watched, both looked around until they saw the man on the roof of the manor. The glare that he shot them made both demons back up a step.

"Well," Lucien put a hand to his throat and swallowed hard. "The Elder knows that we lost her now."

*********************A Demon's Mate********************

Ciel looked to the door as a creak came from the hallway. Moving as quietly as possible, the Earl went to his desk and pulled his gun from the drawer. He made sure that it was loaded before going to the door and turning the knob slowly. He kept the solid wood in front of himself as he opened the door. Cursing softly, he realized that the light from the fire spilled into the hallway and alerted anyone out there that there was someone in the office.

"Ciel?"

"Aunt?" He slid the gun into his pocket and let out the breath that he had been holding. "What are you doing?"

"Why are you still in the office at this time of night?"

Ciel instantly pokered up at her tone. "Why are you wondering around the manor at this hour?"

"My lord, Lady Francis? Is there something wrong?" Tanaka appeared at the end of the hallway with a single candle.

Frances looked away before answering. "I couldn't sleep."

"Seems to be a theme around here." Ciel opened the door wider and went back to his chair. His aunt followed, as he knew that she would. Tanaka paused in the doorway.

"Would you care for some tea, my lord?"

The Earl shook his head and went to the sideboard that held the same scotch that he had shared with Serena. Pouring a glass, he looked to his aunt and held it out. Frances glared.

"Ladies do not drink scotch."

Even so, she came forward and took the glass from his hand.

"Nights like this, I think that ladies would make an exception." Ciel took a deep drink from his own glass before going back to his seat. "There is something that I would like to discuss since you're here."

Frances looked up and he could see the faint flash of fear in her green eyes.

**********************A Demon's Mate********************

Instead of directing her to the salon, Malory had led Serena up the stairs and into the sitting room that was connected to the Countess Suite. The antiques that Serena had seen along the way were in keeping with the house, but lighter than the dark colors and heavy woods that Ciel had favored. All together the house was brighter, as though some curse had been lifted over the last century.

She watched as Malory had given Alex's hand to one of the maids when they entered the house and he had waved at Serena before going upstairs and down a different hallway. The red head had smiled even though she was sad to see the mini Ciel walk away.

"I'm glad that you're here." Malory said as she handed her guest a cup of tea. "Now, my husband can stop thinking that I'm insane."

"What do you mean?"

She stood and went to the table in the corner. The blonde picked up the fireproof lockbox from the center before coming back to the table. Opening it, she smiled as she handed over the framed sketch that Serena had given Ciel for Christmas, over a hundred years ago. "There is an old story in my family that was passed down with each generation. It tells of a girl that came to this house in the 1800s. She was only here a few weeks before her tragic death, but she became quite close to my ancestor. The story tells that she was actually from the future and would show up again in the summer of 2012."

"I can't believe that this is still here." Serena ran her fingers lightly over the glass that protected the aged and yellowed paper.

Malory pulled something else from the box and held it out.

"My phone!" Serena grabbed for the device and took in the aged appearance. "I wonder if I charged the battery, would it still work?"

"It does. We invested heavily in certain technologies, including the iPhone as soon as the idea was introduced, based on that. When the iPhone 4 came out, I tried to charge it. Hit the button."

The opening jingle came from the phone and Serena let out a little scream. "Over a hundred years and this thing still works." She thought for a second. "What does that say for what we're putting in landfills?"

"Very disturbing, however, that one has been highly protected."

A knock at the door called both of their attentions as a teenage girl with her mother's blonde curls but the same deep, blue eyes of her brother, stuck her head in the door.

"We're home, Mother." The girl noticed Serena and smiled. "I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Its fine, come in." Malory stood and pulled the teen as well as another girl with dark hair into the room. "There is someone that I want you to meet."

Serena stood as they came closer.

"I would like you to meet my daughters. This is Claire and Anabelle."

Both girls looked at Serena. The eldest gasped and looked between the red head and her mother.

"Is this...is she...?" Malory nodded and both girls let out a scream before pouncing on Serena.

The red head couldn't keep up with the mile a minute pace they both spoke at as they peppered her with questions about herself and the past. Both girls pushed and pulled her between them as they spoke. Serena couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm.

"Girls." Malory waited for her daughters to stop jumping around and yanking on Serena. "Why don't you go change and finish the homework that I know is in those bags? During that time, I'm sure you will get your questions in some semblance of order, instead of doing your homework, and you can talk to Serena at dinner, that I'm sure she is staying for?"

"Sure." Serena forced a smile. "Thank you."

The girls stared at their mother in disbelief as she merely raised an eyebrow. Finally, the eldest huffed and pushed her sister out of the room.

"I'm sorry. I knew that they would be excited, but I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, now I'm certain that Ciel married Elizabeth." Serena shook her head to clear it from the screaming girls.

"Actually, he didn't."

"What? Then how do you look so much like her and they look like her and act like her."

"It has to do with how we became the Carthridge family instead of the Phantomhives." She waved for them to sit again. "The Phantomhive name has been buried and after Black Butler came out, we were thankful that it was."

"I was wondering about that."

"Ciel Phantomhive died before he married. The title was returned to the crown as well as the entailed property and the crown started looking for another family member that could take over. It turns out that Vincent had a brother." Malory smirked a little. "A half brother, actually."

"I thought that legitemecy was a big deal when it came to titles and all that."

"Normally, it is. However, there is nothing about our family that is normal. As I am sure that you have noticed."

"It had occurred to me." Serena laughed as she ran a finger around the edge of the teacup.

"Anyway, it was found that Vincent had known about his brother and the estate actually paid his family an annual income. He was close to his brother, even though their connection couldn't be made public. The Phantomhives were good at keeping secrets. The Carthridge family had the intelligence of the Phantomhives but not the bloodline. Somewhere along the way, the records were altered and Vincent's nephew, Arthur, became the next earl. In fact, the Phantomhive family completely disappeared. Only the member that takes over the title knows. Which is how we are able to live after that manga and anime came out. I told my children since you were supposed to appear during their lifetime. Even so, I didn't tell them everything."

Serena looked at the woman strangely. "You're not just talking about the Earldom, are you? An exception was made for the Carthridge family because of the guard dog title."

Malory smiled but didn't deny or accept her theory.

"So, Lizzy married Arthur instead?"

"That is correct."

"But, she was so in love in Ciel."

"We don't know why she decided to marry Arthur, it was never part of the story. The records of the family seem to show that they were happy and that is all that we know. Arthur was given the title of the guard dog and it passed down from there."*

"Why do you look so much like Lizzy?"

"Ah, I am actually the Carthridge. My parents only had one child and instead of the title passing to the nearest male relative, a special circumstance was made. My husband Henry married into my family instead of the other way around. He runs the family businesses."

"He's the Earl, but you're the guard dog."

Malory smiled over the rim of her teacup, the blue diamond ring that Serena hadn't noticed before winking with the gleam in her eye.

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Frances drew herself up, preparing for a conversation that she wasn't certain that she wanted to have as Ciel stared into the flames of the fireplace. Tanaka had been sent to bed as there was nothing more that they needed.

"I wanted to ask you about my parents. Before they married."

"I really don't know much about the time before Vincent married Rachel. To be honest, I never even knew that my brother was considering marriage. I hounded him enough about it, but he always ignored me. It wasn't until the day before the announcement went to the papers that Vincent called me here to introduce me to Rachel." Frances stared into the glass in her hand. "I had met Rachel and Angelina before at parties hosted by other nobles. Angelina was very quiet and Rachel was anything but. She was, bright, and she made everything around her bright as well."

Ciel picked up the book from the ottoman and ran his finger down the cover. "There was someone else that was courting my mother at the same time. Tanaka's journal talks about my father and this other man constantly one upping each other with gifts and things like that."

"The contract between my father and Lord Durless was for an arranged marriage consisting of the next Earl of Phantomhive and a daughter of Durless. There was never any name specified in the contract. If Rachel wanted to entertain offers from others, she was more than welcome too."

"Because Madame Red was still there."

"That is right."

"She was looked at as a fallback." Ciel tried not to think about how his beloved aunt would have felt about that.

"No." Frances took a drink of her scotch. "We all thought that Angelina and Vincent got along better than he would with Rachel. Angelina had many of the same interests that my brother did. She would have fit well as the wife of the Queen's Guard Dog."

"You didn't want him to marry my mother."

"I admit that I didn't think that they suited as well. Rachel was beautiful and always smiling," She looked up at her nephew. "And painfully oblivious when she wanted to be. Angelina never would have been. Even if she had never been told about the other parts of being the Earl of Phantomhive, she would have figured it out. Vincent didn't want that."

"What do you mean?"

Frances sighed and took another drink from the heavy glass. "My brother hated being the Queen's Guard Dog. He absolutely hated it. He wasn't much older than you are now when my father died and it was passed to him. Vincent had the drive and the intelligence that all the earls had, but not the desire to do the job. With Rachel, he could pretend, while at home, that he was a normal nobleman."

"Is that why he didn't have much security around the manor?"

"Vincent never thought that anyone would attack his family, just him." She took a deep pull from the glass to mirror Ciel's. "Why are you so interested, Ciel? It was a long time ago."

"I found who killed them."

Frances stood to pace in front of the fireplace. She turned to speak a few times but would go back to pacing without saying a word. The Earl stood as it finally hit him, horror written over his face.

"You know. You've known the whole time."

**********************A Demon's Mate********************

Malory had called for her maid before dinner and between the two of them, they had found a dress that Serena could change into. Although polite about it, the blonde had informed Serena that her jeans would not be welcome at the table. She stood in front of the mirror in the guest room and tried to poke and prod the pretty blue satin into being comfortable.

"Damn that butler and all his rich food." Serena twisted again but stopped when she felt the fabric tighten at the seams. "I was hoping that it was just my clothes but I've actually gained weight."

"You're right." Malory laughed from the chair she occupied. "You're a blimp."

"Hey, don't tease an American girl about her weight. It's not funny." The red glared at her from the mirror's reflection.

A knock preceded the girls, out of their uniforms and now in pretty dresses of their own.

"Can we come in now?" Claire pouted.

"Yes, as long as you're not going accost our guest."

"Great!" Both girls bounced into the room, all pouting forgotten. Claire looked at the dress that Serena was wearing. "Isn't that a little tight?"

"See, I told you." She looked down at the dress and mumbled under her breath. "It's all Ciel's fault. All those courses and all that sugar."

"So did he really have a sweet tooth, like the anime and manga said?"

Serena laughed. "Yes. You wouldn't believe it. Sweet scones with clotted cream at breakfast, little cakes with tea, cookies with lunch, parfaits as a snack, and then whatever sugary confection that Sebastian came up with for dessert with dinner. Oh, and don't forget the tea before bed that had to have little sweets with it."

"Wow," Anabelle sat on the arm of her mother's chair.

"Yeah, and not an ounce of fat on him." Serena shook her head as she remembered.

"That's just not fair," Claire took a seat on the ottoman. "If I ate like that, I'd be three hundred pounds."

"Well, you see what happens when someone normal eats like that." Serena groaned as she looked in the mirror again. "I never gain weight."

Malory looked at her daughters and noticed the paper that Anabelle was holding. "I assume that you neglected your homework like I thought and worked on your questions?"

"Yup!" Claire nudged her sister and they both took up space on the ottoman. "First, which is closer, anime or the manga?"

"I would say the manga. Both had problems but the manga was closer."

"How close was it?"

"Very close. The manga's problems were mostly with timing. The anime had different characters and went off in a completely different direction. Not to mention that when I was there, Ciel was seventeen and the anime had him dying at thirteen."

"Which leads to my question." Malory interrupted. "Was it true? Did he really sell his soul to a demon to get revenge?"

Serena looked at the older woman in the mirror and finally saw that it was a question that she wanted the answer to, but didn't at the same time. She didn't want to hear that her ancestor had really made a deal with a demon.

"Yes." She answered slowly. "However, I learned recently that Sebastian broke their contract before its end."

Malory nodded as the air in the room shifted, grew stifling. "Girls, why don't you go get your brother?"

"Why don't we leave so that the adults can talk?" Claire grabbed her sister's arm and pulled the younger girl out the door with her.

"I was hoping that you would deny it." Malory said after she was sure that her daughters weren't listening at the door.

"Did you really want to hear a lie?"

"No, I suppose not."

The red head felt that it was time to ask the question that she didn't want the answer to. "How did Ciel die?"

The blonde stood and came to fuss with Serena's dress. "The family records say that he died of an asthma attack."

Serena laughed shortly. "I never thought that it would be something so simple."

"Well, records also show that my father died of a heart attack when he was actually shot on a case."

"So basically, no one knows." She whispered.

Malory shook her head. "No. My family is a little too good at keeping secrets. That's why we really know nothing about Ciel. It's almost like anything connected to him was purposely destroyed. There are no portraits, no letters, no journals. The only thing that proves that he actually existed is the grave in the family cemetery and the story that is passed through the family."

"Ciel would never have sat for a portrait anyway. He was far too busy." Serena laughed.

"Mum!" Claire stuck her head back into the room. "Father's home."

"Oh, I can't wait to see his face." Malory grabbed Serena's hand and the sketch that was laying on the bed. She drug the younger girl through the house as the red head tried to keep up with her longer legs in a dress that was restricting her movement.

A man came to the head of the stairs and Malory's smile grew wider. He was surprisingly normal to be dragged into this family. Chestnut hair was already graying at his temples and hazel eyes warmed when he saw his wife coming. His tall frame was clothed in an immaculate three-piece suit but, there was an air around him that Serena could easily see him in local pub having a pint with friends instead of the house of an earl. She was reminded that he married into this family and wondered if he had known the craziness that he had signed himself up for when he did.**

"Malory, I didn't know that we were having a guest for dinner this evening." He smiled as he held a hand out.

"Oh, never mind that." She stuck the sketch in his hands and Serena tried not to laugh as he sighed.

"This again."

The red head was pulled forward and almost tripped over her own feet. Henry stared at her and then back to the thing in his hands, then back to her. Malory just crossed her arms over her chest with a superior look on her face.

"This isn't...this doesn't prove...no, it's not possible..." He looked back to his wife, who only nodded.

*********************A Demon's Mate********************

Lizzy looked back as she climbed into the Midford carriage the next morning. During breakfast Ciel had insisted that he would take care of the interviews for a new butler and that they go home. She knew that something had happened between her mother and fiancé but neither seemed willing to talk about it, let alone try to fix it. As she settled in her seat, Frances and Ciel were whispering outside the vehicle.

"Ciel, let it go. Being the Earl of Phantomhive is dangerous enough without inviting more trouble." She put an unusually gentle hand on his cheek. "Blood will not wash the nightmares away."

She watched as his eyes softened for a split second before the icy coolness that had enveloped her nephew since his parents death came back, colder than ever.

"Goodbye, Lady Frances. I hope that you have a safe journey."

Frances sighed and nodded. "So be it. Goodbye, Lord Phantomhive."

Lizzy watched as her mother settled into her seat. The older woman looked back to the Earl before he shut the door.

"Mother?"

"It's nothing, Elizabeth."

The horses started forward and the carriage jerked to follow. Something made her want to jump back out. Something that had passed between her mother and Ciel as he had shut the door to the carriage himself. A goodbye that had seemed final.

"Mother..."

"You will stay away from the Phantomhive house for the time being."

"What?"

"I will inform all the servants that they are not to help you come here from now on."

"What's going on? You know something."

"Just do what I say, Elizabeth." Her voice was harsh, nothing like the controlled lady that Lizzy had grown up with. The only time her mother had used that tone was when she had told her daughter that the Phantomhive family had been murdered. "For once in your life, do what I tell you to."

Frances looked out the window as they rounded the bend that would take the carriage to the end of the drive. Through the trees she caught a glimpse of another carriage being brought to the front of the house and stopping in front of her nephew.

 _'Goodbye, Ciel.'_

*******************A Demon's Mate*******************

Serena settled into the bed of the guest room that she had been given and tried to sleep. After telling most of the story of her trip to the past, her hosts wouldn't hear of her going back to town tonight. Even Henry had been insistent, although he was clearly thrown by her presence in his home. The man had barely spoken during the meal. After dinner, the family had gathered in the salon, something that she had been told was normal and Malory had assured her that Henry just needed time to process. She said that he was the logical one of all of them and had never believed the story to be more than nonsense.

There was something off about the house. All through the evening, Serena had tried to put her finger on exactly what it was but came up empty. The family was happy and as normal as they could be, for Phantomhive descendants. The house itself wasn't it either. There wasn't a thing out of the ordinary.

 _'Maybe it's me? I don't belong here. As much as I would love to stay, they are a family and there is no place for me here anymore. My family here died a long time ago.'_

The realization brought a coldness to her body and made her rethink her plans. Through Undertaker, she knew that Sebastian wasn't here and Malory had already told her that she didn't know what really happened to everyone. History only remembered the sugar-coated version of the past, making sure that she would get no answers here either. But, where else was she supposed to go?

Serena shivered but, whether because of exhaustion or depression, had no energy to pull the blankets closer. Deciding to leave in the morning, she felt her eyes finally drift closed and welcomed sleep. The blankets shifted, slowly moving to cover the rest of her body. Her eyes shot open in time to see black tipped fingers pulling away from her.

She burst up from the bed and searched the darkness of the room. There was no one there, but she knew that they had been. The door across the room was open a crack and Serena threw the covers off to run out of the room. The hallway was just as empty, lit by soft scones every few feet. One of the double doors at the end of the hallway opened and Henry stepped out, followed by Malory.

"Serena? What's going on?" Malory stepped from behind her husband to put a hand on the younger girl's arm.

"There was someone in my room."

"You were probably just dreaming," Henry said softly to the spooked girl.

"No, I couldn't sleep. I saw someone."

"Dad doesn't believe that the house is haunted." Claire's voice came from the room next to Serena's, her door open a crack to let her lean out.

"Claire."

"Oh, come on. Do you honestly think that with this house's history that it's not a ghost or two wandering around here?" The teen rolled her eyes. "We've all seen it. You just refuse to."

"That's right, because it's ridiculous."

Malory raised her hands to stop the two. "You both can have your paranormal discussion again later. Right now, we should worry about if there is or is not someone in the house."

"It's the man from the garden."

Everyone turned to see Alex come out of his parent's bedroom.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked.

"There's a man in the garden, sometimes he comes into the house too."

"See, he's seen him too." Claire glared at her father.

"Were you the one that put this idea in his head?"

Serena ignored the argument that Malory was trying to referee and held out a hand to Alex. When he came to her she sunk down to sit on the floor.

"What does he look like, Alex?"

"He's tall, as tall as Daddy. But his hair is black and longer than Daddy's." The child seemed to think for a minute and didn't notice that Serena was having a hard time breathing. "And he paints his fingernails."

"Black?"

Alex nodded and she forced herself to smile at the boy.

"Does he ever talk to you?"

"He tells me stories sometimes, about the house and another little boy that looked just like me."

"Did he tell you his name?"

"No. He never talks about himself. But, he knows me and everybody else in the house." The boy waved her closer. "He doesn't like that Claire wears so much makeup. He says that she looks like a prostitute. Whatever that is. Mother won't tell me."

"Hey!" Claire's indignant shout proved that Alex hadn't been quiet enough.

Serena snickered and they both realized that they were being watched.

"Are you going to keep this ridiculous story going, as well?" Henry crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the red head.

"I don't think that it is ridiculous at all."

"You know who it is, don't you?" Malory asked.

"I think its Sebastian."

******************A Demon's Mate*****************

Ciel looked out the carriage window as it pulled into the drive of another's house. The sprawling mansion rose from the earth and reached for the sky in elegant white stone. At the sight of the living that his enemy enjoyed, the Earl felt another wave of bitterness.

The carriage stopped at the foot of the large staircase that led to the massive double doors of the house and he waited for Tanaka to open the door. His hand went to the gun in his pocket. There was no more time, he knew that the servants had barely had any sleep as the alarms around the estate kept going off in the night. It was only a matter of time before a mistake was made. Humans could only go without sleep for so long.

He wouldn't die before this.

The doors opened as he climbed the stairs and Ciel felt his heart beat speed even more. The words that he found in the margin next to his enemy's name came back to him.

 _'Human's are rather simple creatures, aren't they Master?'_

 _'Yes, Sebastian. Yes, we are.'_

* I know why Lizzy married Arthur... and it's a teaser for the sequel!

**I pictured Henry as kind of a Colin Firth character.

Author's Note: I actually thought, for a second, of having Lady Frances and her husband be the ones that killed Ciel's family. I could have come up with a reason. That would have been some shit, huh? But on a more serious note, I'm not sure whether I should accuse someone that we already know, through either the anime or the manga, or introduce another person?


	35. Chapter 35

Author's Note: Nothing to report at this time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirty Five

Serena pulled the borrowed robe tighter around herself as she stared over the garden from the window seat. It had changed in the last hundred years, added to in some parts and changed completely in others. The little hedge maze had been allowed to grow without Finny's constant killing and added to over the generations to form a full size maze that now stretched what had once been grass, almost to the tree line.

She shivered, remembering the last time that she had been in those woods.

The red head heard a faint noise from the door, so quiet she thought that she had imagined it. Until the door started to open. A tiny hand came around the edge of the heavy wood and a face appeared with it. Alex smiled a little as he saw that Serena was still awake.

"Hi." The little boy waved a little as he came into the room, leaving the door open behind him. His footsteps were silent against the carpet and he raised his hands up before reaching her.

Serena watched him for a moment before bending down to pick him up. She didn't understand why he had taken a sudden liking to her, but it felt right to cuddle the smaller body while looking over what had once been Phantomhive lands. Lands that would someday belong to him, as they once belonged to a distant relative. A distant relative with a familiar face.

 _'Is this really what Ciel looked like when he was young? Was he happy like this, with his family?'_

 _'Mr. Butler broke his contract with the little Earl.'_ She looked at the boy again as Undertaker's words replayed in her mind. Alex looked up with a smile and pointed down to the garden.

Her breath caught in her throat as a figure moved smoothly through the twists and turns of the hedge maze. She missed the boy's smile turn wicked for a moment before he squirmed to be let down and padded silently out of the room.

Serena checked the window one last time before darting out the door behind the boy, her heart in her throat.

********************A Demon's Mate**********************

Ciel was slightly surprised when the house's butler didn't ask his name or business when the door opened. Instead, the servant seemed to know exactly who he was and why he was here. As the Earl followed the quiet man through the twists and turns of the houses interior, he was struck by how quiet the house was. An eerie silence that seemed to permeate everything around him.

It was more than just the quiet that was unsettling. Looking at his surroundings as he was led through the house, Ciel took in the quality of the antiques and artwork that filled the home. A sneer found it's way to his face as he remembered what he had told Serena.

 _'The house of Phantomhive would be destroyed and they would see a profit from it.'_

A moment of morbid curiosity had him wondering which of the little trinkets had been bought with the profits from his own sale into hell.

The next thought brought his unease into focus. It was too much. There was too much gold, too much color, too much everything. The decorations were gaudy, clustered together in some places and bare in others. The colored walls that formed a backdrop for the paintings were too deep. There was no way that any well-bred nobleman would have a house decorated so. It was a flaunting of wealth that was nothing but pretentious.

Once the problem with the house had become clear, Ciel could see other things that were wrong. The main one being the man that was escorting him. There was something mechanical in his steps, as though the man was not consciously moving. Added to the silence that was trying to envelop him, with the house, it set the Earl further on edge.

The man slowed as they approached a set of double doors. He opened them smoothly, so that Ciel didn't have to stop. As he passed, Ciel saw the look on the butler's face.

It was utterly void, like the man wasn't there at all.

"My lord, the Earl of Phantomhive to see you."

Ciel took in the room around him, the décor was off again. The money was obvious, so was the lack of taste. He would have killed Sebastian if the demon had decorated his house like this. The colors were garish and didn't quite match together. The gilt on the ceiling was followed to the bookshelves and the legs of the chairs. There was too much, too bright, too quiet. Everything was off, just slightly. Just enough to put any person that entered the room, and the house itself, on edge.

"So, you finally found me." The man that was sitting behind the desk sat forward in his chair, leaning his elbows on his desk. "I've been waiting for you."

********************A Demon's Mate*********************

Serena slipped past the last night footman and out into the garden beyond the salon door. She didn't feel the cold of the stones beneath her feet as she flew over the patio to the steps leading down to the main garden. A shadow passed over the rose bushes at the end of the shallow stairs. She started to say something, to call out to him but the shadow flowed away.

There was no other choice but to follow it's path deeper into the flowering plants. The shadow darted back and forth through the bushes, leading further through the paths. Anytime that she took a wrong turn, Serena saw the shadow dart across her path again in the right direction. It had almost become a game, chasing the shadow that stayed just out of reach. A giggled bubbled out of her chest as she continued the chase, anticipation making her fly across the ground.

She followed behind him as they passed the rose-covered gate that led out of the garden and into another portion of the property. The clouds moved over the moon, making following the shadow that much harder. In places that were too dark, the red head would feel a light breeze in the direction that he wanted her to go, as though blowing a small breath across her cheek.

The shadow smelled like cinnamon, warm and inviting.

"Sebastian," Serena called out when she felt her legs tiring, her breath was tearing in and out of her throat. "Sebastian, stop. I can't go any farther."

She stopped and leaned on a stone next to her as she tried to catch her breath. The shadow appeared again, just a deeper darkness in the night, when she looked up again. The clouds pulled away from the moon, illuminating the landscape again. The landscape that was dotted with stones, too many for such a flat area. Flat land would have been used for farming or gardens, it would have been cleared centuries ago.

Suspicion made her look at the stone that she was leaning on and Serena jerked away when she saw writing. She had been leaning on someone's headstone. The entire area was filled with markers of lives once lived and now over. She hurried to where he was standing, slipping on the wet grass in haste. Just like before, he disappeared as soon as she came close and the red head felt the familiar burn of anger.

"This isn't funny anymore! I don't want to be here." Serena looked around her as she yelled at the darkness. The shadow was nowhere to be seen.

"Sebastian?" Fear started to set in where there had once been anger and she heard her voice crack as she called again. She didn't know how to get back to the house and her guide had disappeared. Serena continued to search the shadows around her when she finally noticed the writing on the stone in front of her.

 _'Ciel Phantomhive December 14 1875 Died December 12 1894. May you find peace in the light of the Lord and the loving arms of your family once more.'_

 _****************_ A Demon's Mate***************

Ciel forced himself not to jump as the door shut behind him. The Earl straightened his spine, refusing to show his unease. As he walked away from the door and into the room, another man leaned around the side of a large wing-back chair. He smiled as he saw the young man and stood. There was something about his movements that was just as off as the rest of the house, just as off as the eyes of the man behind the desk.

"Your butler did not inform me that you already had a guest." Ciel barely hid the hatred in his voice as he spoke and felt a spark of pride that he was able to do so.

"There is no need. I have no secrets from him."

The man from the chair walked forward and everything clicked into place. There was only one other person that he had ever seen move so fluidly. There were no lessons that could teach a lady or noblemen or actor to move like that. No human could hold such fascinating grace.

Ciel started to laugh and the man stopped in his tracks.

"It's seems that we have something in common."

Behind the desk, the master had yet to move and only cocked his head with a smile.

"Perhaps, but your demon is gone. Mine is still here."

The Earl look at the target of his revenge and realized the man was just as off as his house. There was something in his eyes that wasn't right. They slipped in and out of focus as the smile stayed on his face. He looked at something behind Ciel and his smile brightened.

"Master."

The demon's voice brought the man back and he sighed as his focus was brought back to Ciel.

"You look so much like that bastard, it's almost as if he were still alive. But that's impossible. I held his head in my hands after it was severed from his body."

Ciel started forward, his anger getting the best of him for a moment. "Why? What was so damned important that you killed them?"

"Why should he have what I couldn't?" He finally stood, leaning on his massive oak and gold monstrosity. "Why should that damned Phantomhive have everything? Always, everything was so damned easy for him! You tell me why."

The venom and madness that took over made Ciel stepped back. He felt the door behind him and still pushed his feet to try move further away.

"Why should Vincent get to have the happy life? Why should Vincent get to have the sisters and the son? Why should Vincent get to have the prosperous lands, the queen's trust? Why did you survive? Why? Why? Why?"

"Master." The demon came behind the desk and laid a hand on his master's arm. His breathing was still ragged as he looked at his demon. His glare turned back to Ciel.

"Kill him now! And we'll finally be done."

The demon turned to the Earl, his eyes the same swirling red that Sebastian had shown when he reminded his Master exactly what he was. Instead of determination or glee at being ordered to kill something, there was nothing but hunger in those swirling eyes. Ciel's hand reached for the gun that he had brought for the purpose of killing his enemy. He knew there was no way to kill the demon, just as there had been no way to kill his, but he would get the master first. Years of practice with his butler had made the Earl a dead shot and he took aim as the demon glided closer.

 _'Why is he so slow? Sebastian was never so slow to carry out my orders. Where has his grace gone?'_

The bullet left his gun as the demon's hand grabbed his wrist and the glass behind the master's chair exploded.

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

In the dining room, Malory watched over her son as he tore through the eggs on his plate with all the grace of a starved rottweiler. She smiled at the mess, knowing this time would be short. Soon, Alex would be starting lessons on etiquette and proper manners. The child's exuberance would one day be replaced with an adult's awareness of self and these moments, where he would look up at her with egg all over his face, would be only a memory.

At the head of the table, Henry stole his own glances at his son and hid his grin behind the morning paper. Claire and Anabelle had their heads together, oblivious to the rest of the world as they whispered together. Their mother made a mental note to check their bags before they left. After all, Anabelle was more than happy to shatter the peace of their home with a well-timed prank.

The servant that she had sent to retrieve Serena for breakfast came back into the room, alone. She was uneasy as the family's attention turned solely on her.

Henry folded his paper down. "Where is Serena?"

"She is not in her room, my lord. Her bed has not been slept in either."

He set the paper down as Malory stood. The two girls stared in shock. Anabelle reached over to the chair that Serena would have used and pulled it a little. Feathers floated down from the ceiling as she mumbled, "never mind."

"She went to see the man in the garden last night."

Everyone looked to Alex, who was playing with his little fork.

"Alex, I've heard enough. There is no man in the garden." He turned back to the woman still standing in the doorway. "We will look for her. It is easy to get turned around if she didn't know where she was going."

"My lord," one of the footman came into the room. "One of the doors to the garden was unlocked this morning."

"Then we know that she is outside." Henry put a hand on his wife's shoulder. "We'll find her. You all stay here."

It didn't take long for the search to organize and the men set out into the extensive gardens behind the great house. Henry was convinced that Serena would have gone into the maze and started there. He made it quickly to the center and the table that his son liked to hide beneath, but the square was empty. Making his way back to the beginning, he called down each of the turns but there was no answer. He could hear the others calling as well but there was never an answer. Back at the entrance, the Earl stopped for a moment to think. When he looked up, a man was standing directly in front of him. His body was hidden by the shadows the morning sun cast over the wall, separating the gardens from the rest of the property, showing only swirling, red eyes. Black-tipped fingers were touched by the sunlight and pointed to the opening in the opposite wall.

"The cemetery." The eyes closed and the man disappeared.

Henry ran to the place he had been standing and ran his hands over the wall and through the shadows. There was no one there. Looking around him, there wasn't another person anywhere near him. The other searchers had spread out to the woods that separated the house from the fields that were still used and the barn that still housed the family's horses. Henry took a breath before shaking his head and heading for the family's burial grounds.

They hadn't changed much since the last time he had been here, holding Malory's hand as she buried her father next to a mother that she had never known. At first glance, he didn't see anyone else in the lines of stones. He started going up the rows when a flash of red caught his attention.

Serena was sitting on the ground, holding her knees up to her chest as she stared at one of the stones. She looked up as he came closer and sat down next to her.

"We've been looking for you."

"Sorry." Serena laid her chin back on her knees and looked again at the stone. "He didn't even make it two years after I came back here."

Henry watched the misery that surrounded her. "You loved him."

She started and looked up. He could read the denial that was forming on her lips, but it never came. The red head turned back to the grave with a sigh.

"I guess I did." She laughed with a snort. "It's strange. You think of seventeen year olds here and see pimple-faced, saggy pants, maybe a gaming obsession and the only important thought they have is passing their next test or getting in their girlfriend's pants. But, Ciel was already an adult. Don't get me wrong, there were moments that you were reminded that he was seventeen. Even then, he was always so focused on work, building the family businesses, running from society and his fiancé. He didn't seem seventeen. Then he died at nineteen, not even nineteen."

"You know, he's Malory's obsession. He's the one family member that there really is no information about. She just about had a heart attack when the news of Kuroshitsuji hit London." He waved to the headstone in front of them. "This is the only evidence that he lived in reality and not just a manga writer's head."

"That just makes it worse," she sniffled.

"But, you knew him. You'll remember him."

Serena gave a wet laugh. "Yeah, Ciel was one of those people that you couldn't forget if you wanted to. All of them were. And they're all gone. I know that I already knew that. Logically, there is no way that any of them would have lived so long, but seeing it makes it real. There is nothing left for me here."

"We're here." He nudged her arm lightly. "And your boyfriend wandering around the garden is still here."

Her head shot up. A slow smile spread across her face at Henry's nod. "You saw him."

"Scared the hell out of me."

"Welcome to the Believer's Club. Benefits of membership are a constant headache, feelings of inferiority in the face of the supernatural, suspension of reality and everyone else thinking that you are insane."

"Thank you, but that is one club that I would have preferred not to have entered."

"At least you fit in with the rest of your family now."

"I guess." Henry stood and held out a hand to her.

Slowly uncurling herself, Serena felt the aches all over her body from sitting on the cold ground and in the same position for hours. She was grateful for the hand, as she probably couldn't stand on her own if she had tried. Both of them brushed the dirt off and she became aware of the wetness on the back of her nightgown from sitting on the wet grass.

"How did you marry into this family? You seem to be firmly rooted in reality, and reality doesn't really exist around this place."

"Malory ordered me to marry her."

Laughter burst out of Serena. "There has to be more than that."

"When we were children, my father worked for the previous earl." She saw the small smile as he remembered the past. "He brought me with him sometimes and when we first met, Malory declared that I was going to marry her. Of course, the adults thought that it was cute and ridiculous. Not much else was said about it, I stopped going to work with my father when I went away to school and everyone forgot about it. I came back to London for college, still not giving it a thought. I was out with another girl when I ran into Malory again. She promptly got into a screaming match with my girlfriend and we've been together ever since."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Why not? Malory was beautiful, the heir to a title and extensive property, and we get along very well. I found out while we were dating that I did love her and always had. I thought that she had been out of my reach and put the whole thing out of my mind."

"So, she was right all along." Her knees protested with stumbling steps as they walked away from the grave but soon got with the program. That didn't take away the stiffness in all her joints though.

"Malory has very good judgment." Henry threaded her arm through his as they headed back to the house. "So, what now?"

"I don't know. There really isn't any reason for me to be here. But, I don't know where else to go."

"I know that Malory would like you to stay. And the girls still haven't had a chance to pick your brain about the past."

"I guess. There are a few other things that I need to take care of in London though."

"I have to go into the city today. You can ride with me."

"One of the things I need to take care of is getting Undertaker's car back to him."

"And then you'll disappear again." He looked down at her head as Serena was staring at the ground. "It's you choice, but you are welcome to come back here."

"Thank you."

********************A Demon's Mate********************

Ciel saw nothing but black as the gun fell from his limp hand. His mind wondered if he was dead until he felt the pain from his broken wrist and heard the crash of the demon hitting the desk that his master still stood behind. Following the line of black, he saw the tails of a familiar coat and the back of a familiar head.

"Sebastian?"

"Coming into the enemy's home without a plan or anyone at your back. Very careless, Lord Phantomhive. I thought that I had taught you better than that."

The Earl jumped up, ready to yell at his former butler when the other demon got back up.

"You! What are you doing here? He's not your master anymore."

"That is true, however my mate told me to watch over Lord Phantomhive. A mate's wishes supersede everything else." A growl came from his chest as Sebastian took a step forward. "And the human that killed my mate carried the scent of one of you little puppets."

"They were not ordered to kill her. Humans and their damned free will are to blame. They were only supposed to keep her for a while. Make you leave your precious, Young Master for a moment. A moment was all that I needed. I didn't expect you to have another Elder watching your territory."

Sebastian snarled at the other demon. "It takes something drastic for a demon to attack another's mate."

"They weren't supposed to kill her."

He smirked as the answer came to him. The slow movements, the desperate measures, the wild look in the other demon's eyes as he tried to look around him to Ciel. He could practically see the other demon running through possibilities to get to the young Earl. "You're starving. You let yourself run down too far before taking a contract. One that lasted far longer than you imagined. It's the only reason that any demon would try something so drastic."

"I had to take my own mate home first before I could feed. I had to break the contract that I did have at the time. Coming through the gate, only to go back immediately, sapped my reserves. If you hadn't gotten in the middle of it, my contract would have been over years ago. Killing a human family is nothing. It should have been easy."

Sebastian waved a hand, seeming to brush aside the other's words. "Your lack of foresight is not my problem. Besides, Lord Phantomhive did not die in the house with the rest of his family. Your contract would have still gone longer than you originally figured on."

"He should have died. I don't know what went wrong."

He smirked. "That is why you could not defeat me. You're a new Elder and you don't know this game. Leaving so much to chance is foolish and the hallmark of a demon that will not stand the test of time."

The demon snarled at his taunting, but Sebastian only smiled and took another step forward. "Now, you'll pay for your lack of foresight. My mate is still dead because you were too ignorant to find a way to defeat me."

"Wait." Ciel grabbed the back of Sebastian's tailcoat.

He glanced behind him. "You know, I do not have to follow your orders anymore."

There was no sound as the other demon attacked, desperate to get to Ciel in that moment of distraction. Sebastian threw him off easily, like brushing a fly away.

Ciel jerked on the coat to bring the attention back to himself. "I have a better idea."

 _'He even thinks like a demon. He's more your son now than he ever was Vincent's.'_

Remembering his mate's words, Sebastian nodded. "We'll take our leave then."

He reached down and picked up his former master before speeding through the house and out the doors. The carriage was still in front of the house and Tanaka blinked at seeing Sebastian carrying the Earl out of the house.

"Sebastian?"

"I believe that our business is concluded for the day. It is time that we returned to the manor."

The elder butler handed the reins over as Sebastian climbed onto the box after settling Ciel inside the carriage.

Tanaka smiled as they passed through the gates at the end of the drive. "Welcome back."

Ciel looked out the window as the scenery passed. An ease he hadn't felt in days made his eyes heavy and his body notice the lack of sleep. The tension that had filled him since Sebastian's departure eased like a piece of his favorite taffy being stretched. Sleep rose like a chasm beneath him and the young earl welcomed the darkness, his feeling of security finally back.

 _'Welcome back, Sebastian.'_

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Serena came down the grand staircase, a feeling of nostalgia coming over her. It drifted away when she felt the flip flops on her feet and the jeans that she never could have worn in the 19th century. Malory and Alex were waiting with Henry at the door. The girls had already left for school and taking a shower had given her an excuse to miss the small tantrum over her leaving.

"Are you sure?" Malory asked as she pulled the younger girl into a hug.

"Yeah, there are some other things that I need to do while I'm here."

"Come back if you don't find what you're looking for." She tried to smile, running hand over the younger girl's hair.

"I will." She smiled and bent down to Alex. The child refused to look at her, burying his head in his mother's leg. "Alex. I have to go."

He just shook his head.

"Alex, say goodbye." Malory tried to pull away so that he had nowhere to hide, but the boy followed her.

Serena ran a hand down his black hair, the sun coming through the windows causing the same blue shine that his ancestor had carried. She stood with a sad smile and held out her arms to Henry with an expectant look. He raised an eyebrow but came forward anyway.

"Remember what I told you," He whispered before pulling away.

"I will."

"And take your creepy boyfriend with you."

She laughed. "I don't know, I think he likes you guys."

Henry opened the door for her and the family followed Serena outside. Undertaker's car waited at the end of the staircase, a footman holding the door open. As she started down the stairs, she had to grab the railing as a weight latch onto her leg.

"Alex, you could have made Serena fall." Malory stepped forward but Serena waved her off.

"Then she wouldn't be able to leave."

The red head leaned down and lifted the boy into her arms. He wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his head against her neck.

"You can't go," he whispered against her skin.

"I'll come back."

"You're lying."

"It's not nice to accuse people. I have to take my friend's car back. He was nice enough to let me borrow it."

"And you should always return things that you borrow."

"That's right."

Alex sniffled. "He'll go with you."

"Maybe that's a good thing."

He shook his head against her neck and Serena remembered another that was attached to a demon.

"I have to go, Alex."

"No." It was easy to hear the order in his voice, broken as it was.

Serena came back to Henry and let him fight the boy in her arms to let go. Once settled in his father's arms, he wouldn't look at her again. She saw his back heave with tears and quickly stepped away. Rushing down the steps, she couldn't look back, or she would stay.

As the car door was shut by the footman, it blocked out the screaming tantrum that the boy had started. Serena put the car in gear fighting back her own tears and took off down the driveway without looking back. When the gates shut behind her, she had to brush a tear off her cheek before pulling onto the road that would lead back to London.

The red head passed the pillar marking the ending of Carthrage lands and saw a man standing in the middle of the road. He didn't flinch as the car came closer, merely waited for the vehicle to stop before coming around the driver's side. Serena rolled the window down without looking at him.

"You led us on quite a chase, my lady." Edwin leaned down and reached for the door handle.

"You're a demon, aren't you?"

"Yes," He answered easily, "The Elder ordered us to follow you."

"That wasn't him at the house."

"No, my lady. It is another of our family. His power level is close to the Elder's, giving off a similar feeling. He stays to the shadows so that the family cannot tell that it is not the Elder, himself."

She nodded and hit the button to unlock the door. He helped her out of the driver's seat and Lucien stood by to guide her to the other side. She finally noticed the gloves, dyed to a flesh color and tightly fitted covering both of their hands. How had she not noticed that? The blonde opened the other door with a smile and waited for Serena to take her seat before leaning over and buckling the seat belt for her. As soon as Lucien slid into the backseat, Edwin took off for the city.

"Where is Sebastian?" Her voice was still flat as she looked out the window.

"The Elder is in America at present. We were sent to watch over you in his place."

"And he couldn't come himself?" She couldn't help the petulant way it sounded when her arms crossed.

"He is currently under contract."

Serena laughed. "He doesn't want me to meet this one?"

"No."

"So, what was this?" She waved to the world outside the car. "A fun game for him?"

The blonde's head popped out of the back seat from the space between them. "Well, it did keep you busy for a few days."

"Lucien, I don't know whether I'm going to cry or try to hit someone at this point. Let's keep the sarcastic comments reserved just for me, okay?"

Edwin cut in before his partner could answer. "We do not know what the Elder had intended. We were told to watch over you and guide you to the manor."

"Why is there another demon at the manor?"

"The Elder has watched over the descendants of Phantomhive so that they would still be there when you returned."

She nodded and leaned her head back against the seat. Staying awake all night was catching up to her.

"Sleep, my lady. I will wake you when we reach Undertaker's parlor."

*Insert author's evil laugh here. "I didn't say where Sebastian was coming back."


	36. Chapter 36

Author's Note: I feel something evil about to happen...I don't know where, I don't know when, but I feel it coming.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirty Seven

Serena woke with a gentle nudge from Lucien. Her door was already open and he had removed her seat belt before waking her. The demon held out a hand gloved in soft, skin-colored leather.

"I didn't even notice that you were wearing gloves."

Lucien wiggled his fingers with a smile. "That's the idea. It's only when you look closely or touch them that you realize it."

"We're here, my lady." Edwin interrupted their conversation as he got out of the driver's seat.

"Why do you call me that?"

He blinked, confused by the question. "You are our Elder's mate."

Letting it go, Serena stepped from the car and recognized the alley that Undertaker's car had been sitting in. Edwin was scanning the area, constantly looking as they walked around the corner to the front of the small shop. The demons kept Serena between them, Edwin standing behind her as Lucien opened the door and waved her inside.

Undertaker sat on one of his coffins with a beaker of tea, waiting for them. The rest of the shop was empty. As soon as he saw the look on her face, the reaper set his 'cup' down and opened his arms. She gave him a watery smile as she slid into the welcoming embrace.

"Why did you push me to go? You knew what I would find."

His long-nailed fingers brushed through her hair. "It's like a band-aid, better to rip it off quickly. It's a lot less painful than gentle persuasion that way."

"You smell like roses and fresh cut wood. It's a little weird," Serena mumbled against his chest.

Undertaker laughed softly and she pulled away with a sigh.

"I expected you to stay longer with the new Phantoms."

"There is nothing there."

"The family is there, and they waited for you for a long time. Just like all of us did. Perhaps, leaving after only a night was a little selfish?"

She watched him for a minute. "So, now he's making me wait?"

"He is a demon that focuses on revenge."

"I am certain that that is not the Elder's intention." Lucien came forward for the absent demon's defense.

"No, it is. He told you both not to tell me who you were or where he is unless I asked, didn't he?" She waited a beat and when neither of them denied it, Serena felt her anger rise. "It's a game. Just like he played with Ciel. He knew everything and always waited for Ciel to figure it out. Waited to see how long it would take him."

"I must say, it didn't take you that long," Undertaker giggled into his sleeve.

She pointed a finger at him. "Were you in on this too?"

"You caused me a great deal of trouble, you know? I had to fight your Sebastian after you died and was forced to reveal a little something of myself in the process. I think that it is only fair that you encounter a little bit of trouble. It's not even a percentage of what we all had to deal with after you up and left us."

"It's not like I had a choice." She refused to look at any of them as she walked to the wall displaying urns for ashes. Undertaker followed, not letting her walk away from the conversation.

"You could have chosen to accept your demon fully."

Serena swung back around. "That wouldn't have made a difference. Then he would've...had to take me to his home. Therefore, breaking his contract and the whole thing would have been over."

Undertaker ran his finger down her nose quickly. "You got it. Only took a hundred years."

"Wait a minute." Serena turned back to the demons that were standing by the door. "If you're getting orders, how are you talking to him? Is this some demon family/house mental highway thing?"

Lucien raised an eyebrow at her. "Or it could be called a phone."

"Reapers and demons with technology? Don't you all already have enough advantages over us poor humans?" She looked between them and noticed Edwin doing something with his phone. It hit her like a bolt of lightning. "Wait a minute, he has a phone? I'm buying international plane tickets and he has a phone?"

Edwin held his phone out. "It's ringing."

The red head swiped the phone from his hand and held it to her ear. Every ring made her breath catch while she waited for a smooth, accented voice over the line. The ringing stopped after only two and she stopped breathing completely. She gasped and spun around to glare at the two demons.

"He sent me to voice mail!"

Edwin reached out to take the phone back and she smacked his hand. "Either he gets it or you do. At this point, I don't care."

The demon held up his hands and stepped back. As soon as the mechanical voice told her to leave a message and beeped, Serena let the last few days of frustration, anger, and depression come out in a scream.

"You son of a bitch! I've been thinking that you changed your mind about this whole mate thing and you're just finishing up a contract? I've been following your little breadcrumbs across the world because you think that a nice, little game of cat and mouse is in order after I got shot? You may think that the last hundred years means that you're owed something, but I died, you bastard. Do you think that's easy? And now I find out that you have a phone that I could have called and you have the balls send me to voice mail?" She didn't see Undertaker with both hands over his mouth trying to contain his laughter as she reamed the demon out over the phone. Behind her, Lucien and Edwin were staring wide-eyed at her tirade. "You know what? You should be happy that you're an ocean away. You should thank whoever is watching over you, because there is someone, that I'm not friends with your new master. Because if I was, I'd tell them to order you to take your foot and shove it up your own ass!"

Serena hit the button to end the call with more force than necessary and stood still, the only movement from the shaking that still wracked her body. She held the hand holding the phone out and Lucien jumped back behind his partner. Edwin waited for a minute before taking the device carefully and slipping it back into his pocket. Her mouth opened to scream but was drown out by the reaper's laughter at her display.

Turning sharply, she headed for the door.

"My lady!" Both demons hurried to follow. "Where are you going?"

"Back to the hotel. I'm done with his little game and I want some sleep."

Edwin came up to her side and directed her to the main road where they could catch a cab. She stayed silent, stewing in her anger as they rode back to the hotel. Neither of the demons tried to say anything, knowing better. They followed like silent shadows as she crossed the lobby and got into an elevator that was letting people off on the first floor. Edwin and Lucien directed her to the back of the car and stood in front of her, in full bodyguard mode now that she knew what they were there for.

When the elevator opened again, both stood back and let her go first. Lucien put his hands up and backed away when they got to her room and she opened the door. Edwin was the one to follow her in and took the glare when she realized that door hadn't shut behind her.

"I'd really like some quiet right now."

"I am capable of being quiet." He answered simply.

"Edwin! I want to be alone."

"Very well. I would request the second key to your room then."

Serena stared at him in disbelief for a moment before rifling through her purse and pulling out the second key card. She held it out but when he tried to take it, she held on. "I still expect that you knock instead of just barging in. It is also not acceptable for either of you to use this key to go through my things."

"Of course not, my lady."

The red head let go of the card and stood in place as he walked out. In a fit, she threw the purse she was still holding at the door. It made a satisfying crash but didn't relieve any of the tension still tight in her body.

******************A Demon's Mate*****************

Night had fallen, the moon well on the rise before they turned into the drive of the Phantomhive Estate. When the carriage drew up in front of the mansion, Finny and Bard stared in shock at the black-clad former butler sitting on the box with Tanaka. As soon as he hit the ground, the two men threw themselves at him. Tanaka stood to the side with a smile on his face.

Not much could be deciphered from all the blubbering, but it was clear that the butler had been missed. The demon let out a sigh. He had never gotten close to anyone but his contracts before and it was a new thing to have people so happy to see him.

"Honestly, all this fuss."

"Oh, shut up!" Bard wiped his face as he turned away. He found the reigns for the horses thrown into his hands as Sebastian went to the door of the carriage.

He found his former Master fast asleep, leaning against the side of the interior.

"He has not slept much since you left." Tanaka spoke over Sebastian's shoulder as he looked into the vehicle.

 _'You're the only thing that he has left that no one can take from him.'_

 _'What rubbish.'_ He picked up the sleeping body and realized just how much time had passed since the beginning of his contract. Seven years may not seem like that long, a blink of an eye to a demon, but in those seven years he'd watched this child grow. He was still obstinate, difficult to handle at times and prone to be selfish but he was a noble, that was to be expected. Not much longer and he could tell that the small boy, with huge eyes that were once filled with despair and pain, that had all but forced him into their contract, would be close to the same height as the demon that served had him. His childhood would be completely gone, some would say that it had already been ripped from him years ago, but Ciel Phantomhive had carried a small spark of that child to this day. He had been a personal witness to that now and then over the years.

 _'I see that look you give him sometimes. Like a proud father who's son just did something great, or in your case devious.'_

Sebastian still rejected that idea that he looked at Ciel Phantomhive like his own child. He had never had children when human, hadn't really wanted them, and demons didn't have children. It was a closed door that he hadn't really noticed when it was open. But still, he wondered how much he had contributed to the growth of the human known to the world as Ciel Phantomhive? How much of his own philosophies had he ingrained in this human? Was Ciel's way of thinking so demonic when he had been younger, when they first began? Or was it learned behavior from watching his faithful butler? Certainly, he had been the boy's main tutor, for all his studies. The demon was more than qualified. But his personal beliefs, his very sense of self seemed to have come from the demon, as well as the past experience with his human family. A strange combination to be sure. Was he more Sebastian's than the humans that birthed him? Or was he seeing this only because of Serena's words. She certainly hadn't known the boy before his contract, her only experience with the Earl was recent. However, even Lady Frances had commented on it. That Sebastian encouraged Ciel's views on certain subjects. Had Ciel's work ethic been his own, or learned from him? Had his way of planning for every instance, his way of handling problems when barred from the easy solution always been there?

As they walked into the manor, Mei-Rin dropped the bucket that she was holding and Snake merely blinked from his place behind the door. He ignored them all as he climbed the stairs, still deep within his own thoughts. Tanaka caught up to them outside the Earl's rooms, opening the doors for the other butler. Sebastian realized that he needed to pay attention or he would have opened the doors himself. Showing his powers was not something that he needed to do, with or without a contract in place.

Between the two of them, they made quick work of undressing the sleeping boy and putting him into his nightshirt. Making sure to bring the covers to his chin, Sebastian took one last look at the child that had caused him so much trouble.

He had never had a contract go so wrong before. He had never had a contract be as interesting either. The demon had purposely drawn out their time together not just because he was waiting for Ciel to grow up, but because he was enjoying life in the Phantomhive manor, enjoyed watching this interesting human grow and interact with the society that only saw him as a child, even if he was far more intelligent than the majority of the adults and worked twice as hard as any of them had ever thought of doing. He took pride in the complements that his Master had received but brushed off as normal.

Following Tanaka into the hall, the rest of the staff waited in a semi-circle. Their eyes were glued to the man in black and he could easily read the hope in them. Hope that he would stay, that things would go back to normal despite recent events. It was an answer that he couldn't give them.

Sebastian sighed, "Don't you all have work that you should be doing?"

"Yes!" They all answered together and took off, brilliant smiles on all their faces. Sebastian made his way to the kitchen, for once not sure of what he should be doing. Bardroy somehow knew and disappeared to do something else. It was obvious the entire house had fallen below the standards that he would have kept it, however, only a demon would notice. It seemed that they could survive without him there. True, he had only been gone two days, but that was more than enough time for this lot to destroy the house.

His conversation with his fellow demon still filtered through his mind, as well as Ciel's statement that he had a better plan than disposing of them both right then.

 _'Nothing to do now, but wait.'_

*******************A Demon's Mate****************

Serena rolled over to look at the sunset she could see through the drapes that had been left open before sliding into the bed the last time. It wasn't really a surprise that sleep was proving to be an elusive luxury. With how mad she had been and still was, adrenalin was going to keep her awake for a while yet. Several times she had given up and started pacing before going back to the bed. Her mind still settled on that damn electronic voice telling her to leave a message and a new wave of irritation rose.

A knock on the door made her turn to glare at the door. Another had her huffing and pushing the blankets away. Another came before she could get to the door and Serena knew it couldn't be Edwin or Lucien, they would have come in by now. Yanking the door open, she was surprised to see Ronald leaning against the door jamb. Behind him, Lucien stood with his arms crossed as though he would love nothing more than to show the reaper the elevator door, face first, over and over.

"It's alright, Lucien. He's fine." She waved the demon off but Lucien made sure that Ronald knew he was suspicious as the demon went back to the room next door.

"You look like hell."

"Well, thanks." Serena glared before going inside the room and leaving the door open.

"I came to check on you. Undertaker said that you were a little upset when you left his shop."

"Yeah, well, you know."

Ronald came up behind her and tapped her shoulder. "You want to talk about it?"

He held up a piece of paper. 'Pub crawl!'

"No."

He made a cutting motion across his throat and nodded to the wall that connected her room with the two demons'. Ronald pulled a pen from his pocket and leaned over the desk.

"Have you heard back from your demon?" He turned the paper back to her. 'Come on. Put on something nice and get out of this hotel for a while.'

She shook her head. "He's not mine. If you haven't noticed I'm here by myself, playing his little hide and seek game, while he's off finishing his contract that is obviously more important."

"Well, he is a demon." 'All the more reason to go. I know you can get past the demon goons.' He could see her resolve shaking, crumbling. Smiling, he shook the paper at her again. Finally, Serena nodded and he punched the air.

"You are obviously in a funk that requires more help than I can offer. I'll see if I can get Grell to come by." 'I'll meet you in the lobby.'

"Yeah, yeah. Run along like a good little reaper."

As soon as the door shut behind him, Serena heard the door next to hers open again. She could only imagine that conversation that was going on in the hallway. A feeling of dread rose from her stomach, but she squashed it back down.

 _'Why should I be here just waiting? Am I going to be waiting all the time for him to decide that I'm important enough to come see? Screw it, I'm going and I'm going to have fun. He can leave a message this time.'_

Less than a half hour later, she was using the same technique as before to slip out of her room and down the stairwell. She did think that it was weird that they weren't watching her closer as she had given them the slip once before, but blew it off as the front lobby came into view. Ronald could be seen, talking on his phone, through the windows and she gave him a large smile as she came out the doors. The reaper took one look at her and his mouth dropped.

Although she hadn't had the time to go through the normal ritual that she would have done, she didn't think that she had done bad. The standard little black dress was always the way to go for a night on the town, and the one she had found right before leaving for Tokyo fit like it had been made for her. Paired with some high heels, darker makeup and wild curls, she didn't feel self-conscious at all.

Ronald coughed into his hand. "Wow. Are you sure that you're stuck on that demon?"

Serena laughed and took the arm that he offered. As they walked away from the hotel, she put that feeling in the pit of her stomach out of her mind.

**************A Demon's Mate**********

Ciel opened his eyes to see the canopy of his bed above him. Sitting up quickly, he tried to remember how he had come to be here. The confrontation and Sebastian's return filled his thoughts. He remembered how the demon had stated that Serena told Sebastian to watch him and felt a tightness in his chest. He had tried to push the red head out of his thoughts for the last couple of days and pain returned with her.

"I assume that you are rested now?"

The Earl looked over to see Sebastian sitting in the chair beside his bed. It was strange to see the demon sitting. Servants didn't sit in their master's presence as they were expected to be ready to carry out orders. It was another reminder of how things had changed. There was no reason to keep up the pretense anymore. Sebastian wasn't his demon or his butler anymore.

"I passed on a perfect opportunity to dispose of both of our enemies. Now, I want to know whether that choice was worth it." He leaned forward, red eyes glowing in the darkness of the room. "You said that you had another idea."

"I do. Death is too easy, for both of them."

Sebastian leaned back in his seat for a moment, studying the child in front of him.

 _'He's more your son than Vincent's anymore.'_

"Perhaps you are correct. However, death would have made me feel better."

"It's too quick." Ciel pushed the covers back and slid out of the bed. He moved to the door without taking another look at the demon.

"Where are you going?"

"Well, this is business now. I'm going to my office." He felt the demon's presence at his back walking down the halls. Instead of being a comfort, it was now menacing, almost as though feeling hunted. Ciel wondered if this was what others had felt when Sebastian was around. Was this what always set his aunt on edge around the demon?

The Earl moved quicker than he normally would have to sit behind his desk. Watching Sebastian take the same chair that Serena had often sat in, he was struck by how much it looked like the office he had walked into yesterday. Was their relationship of Sebastian being his butler so unusual? Did others who made the same deal with a demon have a different relationship with them?

Shaking his head, Ciel pulled himself back to the matter at hand. "Something occurred to me at the house."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Undertaker said that you were a demon of wrath."

"That is correct."

"But the demon we met yesterday wasn't."

"That is also correct." He sighed and decided there was no reason not to elaborate a little, especially if it would free him to rip someone to pieces sooner. "Demons feed on souls that are tainted by different sins. What appeals to them, specifically."

Ciel nodded, as he had already guessed that much. "Those two are definitely envy and greed."

"They often go hand in hand."

"I want to destroy them." He answered simply.

"I was going to do that before you stopped me."

"No, you were going to kill them. But that's not enough. I want to utterly destroy every trace of them, everything that they are and the hope that they could ever have what they want. To start with everything that have first, in the end, no one will know who they are and no one ever will."

Sebastian remembered what he had told Serena. The wrath that always burned in him since finding every trace of his beloved Armana destroyed, her existence wiped from every memory but his. The face that it still bothered him millenia, and countless souls later. Yes, it was truly a demonic act. Not just mindless slaughter, but a well thought out descimation of their very being.

"I assume that you already have a plan and I am willing to listen."

******************A Demon's Mate***************

Things had been quiet in the other room since the reaper left. Both demons listened occasionally for any sign that Serena was moving again, but contented themselves to wait. Edwin looked over to his phone on the desk when it started to alert him of an incoming call.

"Elder."

"Edwin. I received quite an interesting message from my mate."

He picked up on the amusement in his Elder's voice and felt relieved. "Yes, she was much quicker than anticipated to figure it out."

"Not all, I assume."

"You're correct, but the majority of it."

A sigh came over the line. "Still so difficult. I suppose that I should speak with her then."

"Yes, Elder." The demon grabbed the key card off the desk before heading for the door. "My lady has an attachment to the reapers. One of them was here earlier."

"Which one?" The suspicion was clear in his voice.

"Ronald Knox."

"He does not worry me." Edwin could see the Elder brushing the news aside as if he were in the same room. "It is Spears that will cause a problem if possible."

"I see. Please hold on a moment, she was trying to sleep." Edwin knocked on the door but received no answer. He knocked again. "My lady?"

When there was still no answer, he used the card to open the door. It was obvious that the room was empty.

"Damn it!"

"So much trouble. I see that I underestimated my mate."

Edwin closed his eyes and accepted his fate. "Elder, I will take responsibility, not only for tonight, but yesterday as well."

"No, it is my fault. I knew that she was capable of this, but did not expect her to actually do it."

"What?"

"Don't worry about that for now. I will have to arrange someone else to watch her. You said that Knox had been there earlier?"

"Yes, Elder."

"Then she will be with the reapers. They should be able to keep her out of trouble for the time being. The two of you will wait there."

******************A Demon's Mate***************

Serena smiled as Ronald led her to a table in the back of a small pub that she didn't catch the name of. Grell waited as well as Undertaker. As they got closer, another man came to the table with a couple glasses filled with amber liquid and she recognized William.

"I sprang a jailbreak." Ronald laughed as they got to the table. Everyone waved and Grell rushed from his seat to hug her.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Grell tugged on the other red head's hair. "I was worried that you were going to disappear again. I waited all night at Undertaker's and you never came back."

"The Carthrages wanted me to stay." Her voice got quiet again and Ronald looked at the others.

"So, what have you got planned for tonight, Knox?" Will pulled Grell off and held out a chair for Serena. She smiled back at him in thanks.

"Well, Serena should see some of London's night life." He held his hands up. "Picture it. All the favorite pubs, and you have to finish at least one drink at each pub."

"I'm all for it." Serena raised her hand. "Let's get started."

"Serena?"

The red head turned to see who had called her. She was surprised by the man coming through the small crowd. "Henry? What are you doing here?"

"I was meeting a business partner of mine." He looked strangely over the table that was trying to make themselves look inconspicuous.

"We're having a meeting too?" The red head shrugged her shoulders, not sure of what to say.

Henry shook his head. "Uh-huh, you're getting drunk."

Serena fidgeted in her seat for a moment. "Well, yeah."

"Trying to drown your problems?"

"No, I'm going to embrace my problems. In an alcoholic fashion." She tugged on the arm closest to her. "Have a drink with us."

"No, I couldn't." He started to back away a little but the red head wouldn't let go.

"Yes, you could."

"I really have to get home."

Undertaker giggled into his sleeve. "A real man would stay and have a drink."

"Oooohhhh." The table gasped and looked back to the human.

"Let me call Malory." He said with a sigh.

Ronald made a little whip cracking noise and Serena laughed.

"Fine." Henry waved a passing waitress over, sliding his phone back into his pocket.

************************A Demon's Mate*******************

Edwin hurried to answer the knock that came on the door. The power level that was permeating the entire floor was staggering and could only belong to another Elder. It really shouldn't have surprised him when he saw the demon at the door.

"Elder Haagenti. Please, come in."

"I hear that you lost the little red head." The Elder swept into the room and turned back to the other demons.

"Yes, Elder. This is the second time that we have lost her." Lucien saw no reason to lie as he bowed to the other demon.

"Not surprising really."

"I do not understand."

Haagenti remembered his last encounter with the little human. "She has power, that can be used on demons. She used it on you, probably not even realizing what she was doing."

"How?"

"She makes you feel at peace. Makes you feel that there is nothing wrong. And then slips out the door. Once you identify the feeling, you can recognize it and prevent such a thing happening again." He moved back to the door. "First however, I believe that we should find your Elder's mate."

"Elder Haagenti, how do we track one human in an entire city?" Lucien asked as they got into the elevator.

"I have felt her power before and can isolate it's call."

*********************A Demon's Mate***************

Three pubs in, the group had hunkered down and threw the plan to the wind. Henry was still with them as well. He had recognized the group but the feeling of unease had dissapaded in the face of alcohol as the night wore on. Most of their small party was feeling the effects. Grell was already passed out on the table and Ronald was swaying with the music from an ancient radio behind the bar, not far behind his colleague. Undertaker and William seemed content to watch the others make fools of themselves as they continued to drink, not showing the bit of drunkeness.

"Look at those couple of lightweights there." Serena slurred and waved a hand that almost threw her off balance at the two younger reapers.

"I don't think that you can say much. You're not far behind." Henry leaned over and ended up leaning on her to talk.

"Neither are you." They both laughed and their attention shifted to William as he took another drink from his glass. "But look at them. Nothing, they look like their waiting on a bus."

Something caught Serena's attention and drew it away from the reapers that looked perfect as always. She turned to the door and recognized the trio coming in.

"I think I'm in trouble."

Henry leaned on her again to see what she was looking at. "Why's that?"

"The wardens are here."

"Booooo."

Undertaker giggled and rubbed his hands together in anticipation as the demons made their way to the table.

"My lady." Lucien frowned. "You're drunk."

"Well," Serena shifted in her seat. "It's a party."

"Celebrate." Ronald threw his hands up and Undertaker had to stop him from falling off his seat. The red head giggled and Edwin put out a hand to stop her from falling forward.

Another demon came up behind the two and Serena stopped to stare. Dressed in modern clothing, he wore a long, black duster that reminded her of the same outfit that he had worn in the past. His hair was the same, a mass of chestnut that looked good around his handsome face. She watched as he looked past her to nod at Undertaker but ignored the rest of them.

"I know you." She waved her glass at him that was, thankfully, empty. A frown came over her face. "How do I know you?"

Undertaker giggled from his place at the back of the table. "You met him in the past. It was a rather traumatic evening."

Serena swayed on her stool again. "When is it not traumatic around you guys? I mean, really? It's no wonder that there was a manga and anime made about you guys. You have far too much drama going on."

"Serena." Haagenti stared down at the girl as she leaned on the human sitting next to her.

"Is that my name?" She whispered.

Henry thought about it for a moment. "I think so."

"It sounds good, we'll go with it." She nodded and turned back to the Elder.

"Serena."

The red head raised her hand. "Yes, I think that's me."

"I think it is time to go." Haagenti held out a hand to her. The red head looked at the hand for a moment, noting that he wasn't wearing the decieving gloves, before looking back to Henry.

"Do I know him well enough to leave with him?"

"I don't know."

Serena swung around the other direction, Henry putting a hand out to stop her from falling over, and pointed at the white-haired reaper. "You know. You know everything. It's a little creepy."

"I believe that you'll be alright."

"I'll be alright, doing what?"

Lucien threw up his hands behind her, but Edwin and Haagenti just waited.

"You are going to leave with them." Undertaker pointed to the demons behind her.

Serena gasped as she turned around again. "Riiiight." She reached to take the hand still held out but stopped. "Not right."

"What?" Henry leaned over.

"That's not the right demon."

Haagenti had reached the end of his patience. He leaned down and slid one hand under her knees while the other went behind her back. "Enough. We're going back to the hotel."

The crowd parted easily before the demon and his burden. As soon as the cooler air from outside hit her, Serena's head cleared a little and she started to squirm.

"Stop that or I'll drop you."

"I'll aim for you when I puke." Serena squirmed again.

"What is your problem?"

"I don't like how it feels when you touch me."

Haagenti let her legs down and started to remove his support. The red head immediately headed for the concrete. He caught her arm right before her knees hit the ground.

"You shouldn't like the touch of another demon or any being other than your mate. However, I would like to know how you plan to get back to the hotel on your own."

Hanging over the sidewalk, Serena sighed. "Fine."

Edwin came behind the two and slid his suit coat over the girl. When Haagenti picked her up again, it minimized the amount of her skin that he touched. Lucien waved them over to the cab he had gotten and held the door for the Elder and Serena. As the doors shut behind them, the alcohol kicked in and she felt the darkness of sleep that had proven elusive before.

****************A Demon's Mate***************

Serena woke next with a pounding in her head and a Sahara desert in her mouth.

"I assume that you are quite ill."

She looked over and saw the Elder from her trip to the past. The one who said that he had been Sebastian's mentor. He sat in a chair facing the bed, watching her with his fingers steepled. While she was looking at him, her stomach lurched and she ran for the bathroom.

A pitiful moaning came out of the bathroom but the demon wasn't moved. After a few minutes, he heard a thin voice come through the doorway.

"I will never try to keep up with Undertaker, ever again."

"Yes, that was rather foolish on your part. He has untold years of alcohol tolerance that you could never hope to match." The demon answered easily. "You have been unconscious for over a day."

He was still in the same position when she finally came back out after brushing her teeth and wiping some of her running make up off her face. She tried to adjust the dress to look a little better than something that she had slept in for hours.

"Do you feel better now?" When she nodded, he continued. "So, should he expect this behavior every time he has to take a contract?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Slipping past those he has chosen to guard you, spending time with the reapers, excessive drinking."

"He knew I was coming back and he's not here," she mumbled while picking up the robe laying across the bottom of the bed.

"Yes. There will always be times when he isn't there. Of course, you will have more to occupy your time then. Though I am unsure of your ability to run a demon house at this point in time."

She glared at him as she belted the robe but he didn't even flinch. "He sent me to voice mail."

"And called you back. Under normal circumstances, he would not be able to talk to you at all."

Serena pushed her hair back and straightened her spine. "So, this is all my fault?"

"No. I admit that he ran his contract too tight to the time frame that you would come back and remember him. It is perfectly reasonable for you to have expected him to be waiting when you returned to this time. In his defense, he is trying to store as much as possible so that you two will have more time when he takes you to his home, but he's still wrong. However, your reaction to his not being here is wrong as well. You are both at fault."

Serena sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her toes. She admitted that it was uncomfortable to listen to him. It was like being scolded by a parent.

"He is also wrong for not informing you correctly that there would be times that you will be alone. Even when the mating is completed, you will not be able to speak to him when he is under contract. On another note, you are not showing a good lead for the rest of your house. This could be laid at his feet as well since he never informed you of your place. In fact, you have put some of your house in danger."

"How?"

"By slipping past those that had direct orders to guard you, you put them under the Elder's scrutiny for failure. When it comes to something important, that failure is normally accompanied by a final death." He held up a hand when she would have tried to defend herself. "The first time can be excused and was, because you had not been informed of who they were or their purpose in being here. The night before was your fault and the reason that I was called."

"Why are you here?"

The demon gave her a dark look and leaned forward. "I have much invested in your mate and I will not watch you screw it up. He already broke one contract over you and, last night, he was prepared to break another. Demons do not break contracts. We do not lie. We are perfectionists because we are better. We provide exactly the services that we were contracted for and go back to the shadows when it is finished. That boy's house is one of the most respected for ethic and he himself is looked upon for completing any contract that he takes, no matter how difficult."

"So basically, you're upset because I'm making him look bad."

"Among other things. Your mate is training a demon who will be an Elder one day, himself. What he teaches him, he will possibly teach another and so on. We all have a purpose, humans, angels, demons, and reapers. What we are taught, effects how we carry out that purpose. When we carry it out wrong, chaos happens. That is what I taught him, and it is what he will teach the Elder that he is training." Haagenti stopped for a moment to let the knowledge sink in. "The demon behind the Phantomhive murders, as well as your own in the past, did so because he was not trained correctly and what came out of it? A pure soul was tainted by wrath and then sold his still pure soul to a demon and that demon was punished for accepting the contract by the death, thankfully not a permenant death, of his mate."

"Ripple effect."

The Elder smiled and spread his hands. "Exactly. I taught him to look at each possibility as well as each possible outcome and choose accordingly. You are making choices based on selfishness and anger, thereby forcing him to make decisions in desperation. No one makes a good choice when desperate."

Serena looked out the window. "What am supposed to do?"

"A demon's mate, especially an Elder's, is expected to have their own interests. As regrettable as they are, you have your own friends while you are waiting. In his home, you will have other responsibilities, as well as other demons to occupy your time. You liked Edwin and Lucien perfectly well when you first met them. Then there are other mates in your house that you will be able to spend time with. You will also be expected to lead when he is not there."

"I'm just supposed to wait?"

"What did you expect that you would do when he was under contract?"

She crossed her arms and looked away again. "I hadn't really thought about it."

"I see." Haagenti moved back to a relaxed position and waited.

"So, what do I do now, ObiWan?"

"What would you have been doing if you hadn't gone to the past and met your mate?"

"I would probably still be in Tokyo right now. My last semester doesn't start for another couple weeks."

"I would suggest that you go back to the life you thought was so important before."

Serena caught the dig and glared again at the demon. She still admitted that he was right. What else had she and Sebastian fought about the night that she had taken off into the woods. On the bedside table, her newly returned phone lit up with an incoming call. Looking at the number, she recognized it from home.

"I'll leave you to think over what we have discussed." Haagenti stood, quickly moving out of the room but heard her answer the call as the door shut behind him. There was nothing that he could do now but wait for her to decide if she would take his advice or not.


	37. Chapter 37

Author's Note: I will warn you, I've never been to London. I have no idea if I'm right, or completely off in describing the city. I kept it general for that reason. So, please be kind if you have been there and corrections are welcome. Also, there is another introspective convo here because Serena needs to learn somethings about herself. I know that this is stretching on, but I have done a fic before and I rushed the ending. It totally sucked and I don't want a repeat of that. I could have had Sebastian waiting when she got back but I believe that Serena still needed to grow a bit before the end, and so does Ciel.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the descendants and demons that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirty Seven

Serena looked around the hotel room she occupied after hanging up the phone. It was pretty, comfortable and nicely decorated. However, it was blank. Anyone could find themselves comfortable here and that was the point. A feeling of being suffocated came over the red head and she grabbed clothes out of her bag, needing to escape the room.

Minutes later, hair still wet from the shower and sans make-up, she knocked on the door next to hers. It opened quickly, as though someone had been waiting for her. As she entered the room, Lucien popped out from behind the door he was closing, proving they had heard her moving around. Haagenti sat in the room's only chair, watching her carefully.

"I'm going out."

"Very well." The Elder stood. "I will accompany you."

As they walked out of the hotel, the concierge on duty wished them a nice day and she fought not to scoff at him. It was nice out again, something that Serena didn't expect of London weather and she was grateful for the sunglasses that she had grabbed to hide her blood-shot eyes. Not knowing where she was going, or where she wanted to go, the red head took a right when they hit the street.

"Where is it that we are going?" Haagenti kept to the street side of the walk, staying conscious of their surroundings.

"I don't know. I just wanted out of the hotel."

"You are still ill so I assume that you are not looking for a restaurant."

"Ugh, don't mention food."

The demon chuckled but didn't say anything more about it. He directed Serena down a nearby street and they emerged in a shopper's paradise. Little shops and boutiques lined both sides of the street. People milled around on the sidewalks looking in windows or stopping to chat. There wasn't even space for cars to pass on the road. It reminded her of the trip she had taken to London with Ciel and Lizzy to look for costumes and laughed a little.

"You find something humorous?"

"It's just that this reminds me of a day I spent in the past. I left the dressmaker's shop by myself and ended up in Hyde Park."

"Hyde Park is straight this way, if you wish to stop there." He pointed further up and Serena stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "Is there something wrong?"

The red head looked around at the area, taking in the buildings themselves, instead of the shops.

"It was this same street. Nina's shop was a little further up." Serena hurried ahead, Haagenti a silent shadow behind her. She stopped in front of a brick building that was now a handbag boutique. "It was here."

Her hand touched the glass of the store's display. "It's strange."

"What is?"

"I walked down this same street over a hundred years ago. I could close my eyes and the sounds are just the same." She sighed. "I guess it's not so strange to you."

"No. I am used to the feeling."

Her hand dropped and she started back up the street. The demon stayed at her side, making their way through the crowds a little easier. She watched as other people took notice of her companion and was reminded of the way people watched Sebastian. Part fear, part submission, but mostly appreciation of the demon's appearance. She could see the lust on several faces, but Haagenti never paid any attention to them. Serena admitted that she understood, beauty and grace wrapped in a deadly package was an enticing combination.

Shaking her head, she focused on the shop windows on their side of the street. Everything that you could want was available in someone's window. Several times, the red head stopped to look at something for a moment before walking away. A jeweler's display made her stop for more than a moment as it reminded her of the box of jewels from Ciel's safe.

She noticed Haagenti watching her and got defensive. "What? I'm a girl, I stop for shiny things."

"Do you want something?"

The red head blinked at him. "You'd just buy it?"

"Yes."

"What if it's insanely expensive?"

"I'll bill him for it." He shrugged.

Serena scoffed and backed away from the window with a smile. "I'd like to see that invoice."

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

To those on the outside, it looked like nothing had changed. Sebastian took back over his butler duties, directing the other servants while caring for the manor and it's owner. Ciel fell back into his normal routine of running his various businesses while waiting for the next letter from Queen Victoria. The only thing that changed was the Earl stopped wearing his eye patch.

But the two of them knew. There was no connection anymore, other than mutual revenge. An uneasy truce formed between them but Ciel couldn't order the demon to do something if Sebastian didn't want to do it and there was nothing to stop the demon from simply leaving if he wished.

Winter nights were spent plotting their mutual revenge. Ciel was slowly undermining his enemy's business contacts. As of spring, the Earl had caused the doors to close on two of the man's factories. For his part, Sebastian had picked off some of the weakest members of the other demon's house easily enough. He had expected some kind of reprimand for the deaths, but a short visit from his mentor had informed him that news had already spread of the one behind his mate's death. The other demons sensed the battle that was coming and distanced themselves from both houses. The Fallen were staying out of it as well. He had been told that it was a consensus that if he could destroy the newest Elder's house, than it wasn't meant to stand. Most believed that he deserved it for attacking another demon's mate as a way to complete a contract. However, they would neither help nor hinder either of them.

It was his own fault for allowing the majority of his house to be in the human world and vulnerable anyway and the house was just as guilty as it's leader.

Sebastian was surprised most to see the change in Lord Phantomhive. There was a vulnerability, the smallest lack of confidence that dimmed his soul a little. He hadn't seen it before and it was slightly troubling. It was minute enough that the others didn't see it, but he couldn't hide from the demon. When he had spoken of a trip to city, Ciel had said 'I wish to go to London,' leaving an opening for the butler to decline instead of just ordering the carriage prepared.

As the carriage sped along the road to the city, Sebastian listened for any sound from the vehicle. He still hadn't been given a reason for the impromptu journey and found himself curious. The Earl didn't leave his home if he didn't have to. There were no meetings to be held today and no orders from Queen Victoria had arrived recently. Ciel hadn't brought any work with him and the demon had not been given any particular destination. He had only been told to drive around the city.

They were rolling past the Tower when Ciel tapped the top of the carriage with his cane. Opening the door, Sebastian waited for the lord to exit the vehicle and walked behind him to look up at the ancient structure.

"Lord Phantomhive."

"Yes?"

"What are we doing here?"

Ciel was quiet for a moment. "I lost a game of billiards against Serena. I promised that I would take a day off from my work and give her a tour of London."

"I see." The demon kept a careful watch of their surroundings as they stood in front of the former palace.

The Earl turned without warning and started back to the carriage. "Let's keep moving."

************************A Demon's Mate********************

Haagenti waved Serena to a fountain on the outskirts of Hyde Park that had a ledge large enough to sit on. The red head had started to lag behind after they finished the first street and he insisted they stop for a bit. She still refused to eat anything despite walking past several street vendors and a candy shop. She had been particularly repulsed by the candy.

"No more sugar," Serena had said as she put her hands up and backed away from the door.

She had finally agreed to sit for a while and seemed content to watch the people around them. The red head smiled at a son that was being chased around the grass by his father.

"What are looking at?"

She nodded to the little family. "Them. They look happy."

Haagenti observed the two she pointed out. "He has an anger problem when he drinks, which is quite often."

Serena sighed and hung her head. "You just have to poo poo everything, don't you?"

"You don't want to know the truth behind the face they show everyone else?" The demon seemed genuinely surprised as he stared down at her.

"Not particularly."

"I do not understand."

"Reality sucks and I am aware of that. Every once in a while, believing the lie is kinda nice." Serena stared up at the demon as he thought about what she said.

"I can see the validity of your thought, however that is not an option for me." He answered finally.

"Why not?"

"Demons can see the sins that humans carry. Low level demons see a color that surrounds the person. The brighter the color, the more they indulge in that particular sin. To an Elder, it's like reading a life history in a second."

She watched the people milling around them before turning back. "That must suck."

"Hmm, I suppose it does. I do not really remember ever seeing anything else."

"Serena."

Both demon and human looked up as William came toward them. Serena looked confused for a moment. "Do I have a flashing arrow over my head? Does it say, 'Hey, chick from the past is over here'?"

"No, but your soul does stand out, so does your hair." He looked to the Elder beside her. "Haagenti."

"Spears."

"Serena." The red head waved her hands with a smile. Both raised an eyebrow as they looked at her. "I was feeling left out again."

"I see." William straightened his jacket and sat down on her other side. "Is there a reason that you are sitting in the park, people watching?"

She shook her head, carefully not looking at any of them. "Just wanted out of the hotel."

"Uh huh." He watched her out of the corner of his eye. "You're running from something."

She gasped and looked over. "How would you know?"

"You're too happy to be running around London with another Elder and not really doing anything."

"Maybe I'm taking a tour of London," she pouted.

"Through parts of the city that you have already seen in the past."

Serena glared at him for a minute with a pout. "Well, aren't you a smarty-pants."

"I was willing to wait until you wanted to talk about it." Haagenti looked down on the reaper.

"Am I that transparent?"

"Yes," They both answered.

"Great, so everybody knows that I have a problem." She crossed her arms and looked away. "You both deserve a gold star."

The trio sat in an uncomfortable silence while everyone around them continued to move on.

"So, what's wrong?" William finally broke the silence, still watching the people around them.

"It's nothing."

"I think that you are lying."

"I just...he was right."

"Who?"

"Sebastian. He said that no one would really missed me if I disappeared. That they would look for a little while, but move on easily enough." She ran a hand through her hair. "And he was right."

"I assume this has something to do with the phone call you received earlier." Haagenti finally joined the conversation.

"It was my mother. I realized that I hadn't talked to her since I left for Tokyo, at the beginning of the fall semester. That was eight months ago and do you know how long our conversation was?"

Both men stayed silent as they knew an answer wasn't needed.  
"Two minutes and fifteen seconds. Most of which was me yelling because the reason she called was to tell me that she gave my dog away." Serena watched the people around them. "It's always like that. I don't know why I even bothered to try."

"But do you try?" William looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"What?"

"Well, look at the Carthrages. They welcomed you in and you left them easily enough. The only time that we see you is if we run into you or you need something from Undertaker."

Serena started to deny it, but found that she couldn't.

"I'm impressed, Spears. Your emotional scalpel is rather sharp." Haagenti didn't wait for an answer. "The mates of demons are not supposed to have attachments. It makes it easier for them to leave the human world behind."

"Sebastian told me that."

"However, how much of that is others not wanting to get close to you and how much is you not wanting to get close to others?" William asked as he watched her staring at the ground.

"I don't know." She remembered Alex's tantrum when she was leaving. "I don't know."

The reaper looked at his watch and stood. "Unfortunately, my scalpel and I need to be going. I have an appointment that I must keep." He turned back before the crowd swallowed him. "I would suggest that you actually think about it the next time someone tries to let you in, instead of just running away."

She watched him disappear, his words still echoing in her mind.

"I would say that is rather sound advice. Especially from a reaper."

Serena looked confused. "Why do you say that?"

"Reapers don't form attachments either. They are in the world, but not really a part of it. Demons are the same. It is why we formed families of our own kind, but even that is not permanent. It's why our mates are so protected. They are our only real attachments, and without them we would float along through time without an anchor." Haagenti waited for her to acknowledge what he had said and found her still looking at the ground.

"I think that is the problem. I was so upset that Sebastian wasn't here because I'm just floating again. When I was in the past, I let myself get attached to them, to all of them. Now, it's gone but I believed him about the forever thing."

"It is a forever thing, but separations are part of that forever." He spoke gently before his face hardened again. "And now you run from those who are willing to let you in. You aren't seeing that they are putting themselves on the line as well. The reapers know that someday, probably soon, you'll disappear out of their reach forever, but they still went out of their way to include you. The human family doesn't know that exactly, but they know that you will go back to America soon."

Serena nodded. "Could we put the scalpel down for a while? I'm not sure how much more introspection I can take."

"As you wish."

The red head reached into the purse she had brought with her and pulled out the guidebook she had bought. Opening it, she stood and took stock of their current location.

"Enough sitting around. I do want to see London while I'm here."

Haagenti smirked and took the book from her hands. As he directed them back into the throngs of people, she saw him toss the book in a nearby trash can.

"Hey!" Serena started to go back and try to pull it out but the demon pulled her away easily.

"You don't need that. I have more knowledge of London and its sites than you will ever find in that book. Now, what did you want to see?"

Her hands flew up. "I don't have my book anymore so I don't know."

"Very well, I will decide."

"You have control issues, don't you?"

The Elder's only answer was a smirk.

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

Ciel had wandered through the city he had known since becoming earl for the rest of the day. He was far more acquainted with the darker parts of the city and admitted that it was nice to see some of the brighter aspects, even if he was the one seeing them. After passing Tower Bridge, that was still under construction, he had told Sebastian to head for the townhouse.

Passing through the streets of the nobles it occurred to him that he hadn't seen Lizzy since after Sebastian's departure. Tapping the top of the carriage, he waited for the butler to open the box.

"Yes, Lord Phantomhive?"

"Stop at Midford House." He didn't bother to look away from the window and missed the demon's smirk.

"Yes, my lord."

Ciel waited in the carriage while Sebastian took his card to the house and waited to see if anyone was at home. He didn't know why he had decided to stop. It had seemed a simple thing really. Now that he was here, the Earl was unsure of his reason.

 _'Is it because I don't have Sebastian hanging over my head anymore? But our contract was broken a while ago and I never bothered to come see her. I never even wondered why she didn't come to see me. Why do I want to see her now?'_

His musing was cut short when the carriage door opened.

"Lady Frances and Lady Elizabeth will see you, my lord." Sebastian stood back and waited for Ciel to exit before taking up his place behind him.

When they entered the drawing room, Ciel was accosted by Lizzy again and found a slightly nostalgic feeling from it. He didn't push her away immediately like he normally would, instead he waited for Lady Frances to reprimand the blonde. When she pulled away, he saw her stare at his right eye and was reminded that she hadn't seen since he had stopped wearing the patch over it.

With a smile, she pulled Ciel to sit with her on the sofa. As Lady Frances handed him a cup of tea from the tray at her side, he was struck by her eyes. A clear green that was shared by both of her children. The same green that his father had had. His blue eyes came from his mother and he was the only one in the family with them now. For the first time, in a long time, he actually felt lonely.

"What brings you here, Lord Phantomhive?" Frances finally asked.

"No one particular reason. I was in London already and it occurred to me that I hadn't seen my fiancé in a while."

At his side, Lizzy choked a little. He looked over to ask if she was alright and realized that it was the first time since his parents' death that he actually referred to her as his fiancé. Normally it was the other way around, with Lizzy reminding people, mainly women, that he was already promised to marry her. Lady Frances said something, that he didn't catch, but it made him notice that he had been wrapped up in his own thoughts for a while.

"I'm sorry, Lady Frances."

She looked irritated but answered anyway. "I asked what you had been doing all this time."

"I don't want to bore you all with talk of business. I'm sure that you both have more interesting stories."

Without missing a beat, Lizzy launched into a report of the last few months, as he knew that she would. As she spoke of the latest gossip and the family's upcoming trip to Brighton, Ciel allowed himself to sink back into his own thoughts. The manor had been quiet the last few months. He couldn't even remember the last time Bard had blown up something.

 _'It seems that more things haven't gone back to normal than just Sebastian and I. Are we all just playing a pale version of ourselves? What is the point? Why are we still going about the same business if there is no reason for it? Why am I hunting him so far? It won't change anything. It won't bring any of them back. In the end, Sebastian will leave, I'll marry Lizzy and live until one of my cases proves too deadly and my son will take over both titles.'_ He checked back in for a moment but Lizzy was still talking about her friend, Leila, and her upcoming marriage. _'Is this what the rest of my life will be? I don't even remember why I'm doing this, other than duty."_

None of the nobles noticed Sebastian watching the Earl carefully. There was something wrong. The light of his soul had dimmed considerably since they had arrived and the demon wondered what exactly he was thinking about. He had never seen such a thing in the young man in the years that he had been at Ciel's side. Even depression over his parents, Madame Red, and Serena had never dimmed the light of his soul. At times like those it had even appeared stronger. The mark of a pure soul.

After all this time, was the world finally breaking him?

Ciel felt the demon's eyes on him and felt a strange dose of shame come over him. There was something else bothering him as well. Casually looking around the room, he saw an image of his parents across the room. That wasn't unusual, he saw them a lot since their deaths. Sometimes Madame Red was with them but that didn't mean anything. She was only another person that he had failed, that he hadn't been good enough for, hadn't been good enough to save. It was the other at their side that made him stop breathing for a moment.

Serena stood next to his parents, another victim of his enemy. He didn't know why the sight of her struck him harder. Maybe it was because her death had been recent and was fresher in his mind. Maybe it was because she wasn't supposed to die. She was supposed to be with Sebastian, two beings that Death wasn't supposed to touch. She was supposed to mourn him, not the other way around. Maybe it was because his parents always appeared whole and as he remembered them when alive. In contrast, Serena stood beside them with skin as pale as the fresh snow that had fallen the night she was killed, and lips that were blue with blood loss. The same blood that was still red and fresh covered her, coming from the bullet hole that was visible in her chest.

 _'Why am I doing this? Because someone has to. Do I really believe that no one else in the world will be killed after he's gone? No, but he'll have nothing left before he dies, at my hand. He'll see that it was a mistake to attack me and mine. They both will. Afterward, Sebastian will be gone but I'll still be here. And I'll continue to take care of those that break her majesty's law and I'll teach my son to do the same. That is what the Phantomhive family exists for. Death will come, but my life will still have meaning. The meaning that I want it to have.'_

Sebastian watched as that light that had always shined in Ciel Phantomhive came back. He looked away as became so bright that it was painful for him to look at.

"Will you be staying for dinner, Lord Phantomhive?"

Ciel smiled at his aunt. "Thank you, but no. I actually should be going. I still have some work to be completed."

"I see." Frances stood, the two younger following her lead.

In the hall, Sebastian helped his lord slide into his cloak and handed the younger man his top hat. As he settled it on his head, Ciel heard his aunt come forward.

"Have you given up yet?"

The Earl smiled as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Never."

******************A Demon's Mate*******************

By the time they reached the hotel, Serena was dead on her feet. Haagenti had shortened his strides on the way back because of her lagging behind. She flopped onto the bed as soon as they got back to her room and felt something hit her stomach.

Picking up the heavy paper, she saw the room service menu for the hotel's restaurant.

"Food is evil."

"You were already ill before we started this afternoon. Not eating all day is not helping you any. Humans are weak creatures that require constant sustenance." The demon looked down on her from the side of the bed.

"Well, I'm sorry."

"You are excused, there is nothing that you can do about it." Haagenti didn't see the glare that she shot him as he went to the chair.

Serena looked at the menu and was surprised that she was actually hungry for the first time that day. After making a choice, she was surprised that the demon took the menu and placed her order for her.

"Are you staying to make sure that I eat?" She asked as he hung up the phone.

"Rather observant of you."

"I do know how to feed myself."

"That is why you haven't eaten all day."

"No, I haven't eaten all day because I wasn't hungry." Serena stuck her tongue out at him before looking back to the ceiling. "I need to see Edwin before the food gets here."

"What for?"

"To see if Sebastian called."

"He did call. You were out with the reapers, remember?"

The red head sighed. "I was talking about today."

"No, he did not."

"How would you know?"

"I told him not to."

Serena shot up. "You what?"

"I told him not to call you again." The demon answered with a straight face. He watched her struggle to find something to say and finally decided to explain. "As I said before, you need to become accustomed to not speaking to him while he is under contract and so does he. He'll come to you when his contract is finished, exactly as it will be after your mating."

"I...you...how could you...?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I suggest, that you learn some patience for now. He said that his contract is almost finished. Honestly, how do you expect to survive a separation that may last years?"

"Years?" She squeaked out as Haagenti looked at her surprised.

"I didn't think that would be so surprising. You know that his contract with the Phantomhive boy stretched several years before it was broken."

Serena flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling while she tried to grasp the concept of not seeing Sebastian for years at a time.

"Of course, with the amount of energy that he has stored over the last hundred years, by the time he needs to take another contract you'll probably be happy to have some space."

"But, years?"

"You are still measuring time in human terms. After your mating, your lifespan will mirror your demon's. Add to that, time passes differently in our world."

"You mean Hell."

"If you chose to see it that way. There is a vast difference between the place for human souls and the home that demons have made for themselves."

Not realizing what she was doing, the red head started chewing on her thumbnail as she stared at the ceiling.

"You're food will be here shortly. There is no need to resort to eating your own hand."

She dropped her hand, embarrassed that she had fallen back into her nervous habit again. Sitting up, she watched the demon carefully for a moment. He made no move to stop her and simply stared back.

"Do you have a mate?"

The first real smile that she had ever seen came over Haagenti's face. Happiness made him almost too beautiful to look at. "Zachery."

Serena leaned forward with a smile. "What's he like?"

"You would probably find him rather quiet. Zachery was a monk when human and prefers the company of books to others. All but myself, of course. I had to build an extensive library onto my home to occupy him as he devours books as though a delicacy he might never see again." The demon laughed a little.

"So, he runs your house while you're gone?"

"Yes. Although quiet by nature, Zachery has a very strong core. He knows when something needs to be done and has no problem taking action when it is needed."

"When you talk about him, it's the first time that I've seen you actually look happy."

"I was alone for a very long time before I met Zachery." A dark look passed through his eyes but was quickly banished. "I see what you are getting at and yes, he had a problem with the separation the first few times that I left."

"But, he got over it."

"Yes. We have gotten to a point that the separation does us both some good. It makes the time we have together precious." He smirked. "Whether I leave to take a contract or to watch over a demon and his mate making stupid mistakes."

"Is that the only reason that you're here?" Serena pushed a hand through her hair and rubbed her temples as he turned the conversation back to her and her problems.

"I had a feeling that the two of you would be trouble. You meeting and parting were both unusual."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. After the cart had been wheeled in and left, Haagenti made it obvious that he would not pick it back up until she had eaten. When she pushed the plate away later, he measured how much she had eaten before nodding and pushing the cart back out into the hall.

"Something has been bothering me." Serena started while heading for the bathroom to put her hair up. "Why did Sebastian take a contract in America? I thought that London was his territory."

"It was. In this age with photographic technology and humans that live far longer than ever before, demons have taken to trading territories every few decades. He traded me London for a section that I held in Connecticut."

Serena rushed back out of the small room and stared at the demon. "Connecticut?"

Haagenti smirked at her and waved a hand, waiting for her to put it together.

"I grew up in Connecticut. The beginning, the monk was talking about my beginning. He's in my home town."


	38. Chapter 38

Author's Note: I have to warn you that this chapter is very dialogue heave, I'm beginning to think the whole fic is dialogue heavy. I see the conversation first and then have to add in what's going on around it and sometimes, it doesn't work. I need to work on that.

Serena's Halloween costume and that's all I'm going to say. You'll understand when you get there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and the descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirty Eight

"He's in my hometown." Serena dropped onto the end of the bed in shock. "He's...but...how long has he been there? How did he know?"

"There are a few demons that can find others through their connections. He knew about the time that you would be born and called in a few favors to find out exactly where you would be."

She tried to grasp the concept that Sebastian had been around her entire life but found she didn't understand. "But that's...why didn't he say anything? I know that I've never seen him before I went to the past."

"What if you had seen him and then recognized him from the manga when it was released. What would have changed? Would you have gone to Tokyo at all? Would you have gone to the past at all? And what about the whole purpose of your trip? Would he still have broken his contract with Phantomhive or would he have devoured the boy's soul as was his original intent? If he had, would you have been born at all or would he have been left waiting longer?" Haagenti watched as she tried to answer the questions herself and saw the same answer that her demon had gotten come over her face, to do nothing.

"But, he's there now." The red head smiled.

"He has been there the whole time."

Serena jumped up and started throwing things into her bag.

"So, you'll go running after him again."

"Of course." She didn't bother to look up as she tried to stuff everything into the bag without any order.

"That isn't a good idea. He won't be happy to see you there."

That made her stop. She looked at the demon, her confusion obvious.

"Have you not wondered why he set everything up for you to wander around London for a while?" Haagenti laid his head on his fist as he watched her sitting on the floor. "There is a reason for everything that a demon does."

"So, what is his reason, all knowing one?"

"It is a long story." The demon looked into the distance for a moment. "In short, his current master."

"Why would that make any difference? He didn't have a problem with me being there with Ciel."

"Now that's a lie." He raised an eyebrow, making her feel like she'd been scolded.

"Alright, he didn't like that I was close to Ciel. Is he afraid that I'll get attached to this one too?"

"No." He shook his head. "After the experience with Phantomhive, your mate learned his lesson. He never made a contract with a pure soul again and instead, searched for the most evil of souls. Those that truly deserved to be devoured. To be plain, it's not safe for you to be near his new master, or for his master to even know that you exist."

"Why? Sebastian would protect me."

Haagenti leaned forward in his seat, grabbing her chin and making sure that she was looking at him. "That is the problem, he couldn't. Did you never notice that he could not tell Phantomhive no. Once the contract is sealed, the demon serves his master completely and does his bidding until such time as his aim is met."

Serena thought about it for a minute, becoming more and more uncomfortable. "So basically, he could hurt me and there would be nothing that Sebastian could do about it."

"He could order your demon to kill you if he wanted. It's happened before. Of course, that normally ends with the death of the contractor and that would mean that he wasted all this time. That soul would also, eventually, be reborn again." He finally let go of her chin and sat back in his seat again.

Serena flinched and rubbed her skin while staring at the pile of clothing that she was still holding.

"It would be good for you to remain away from his master's notice. That is why he waited to call you back the other night, but you were already gone. He had to wait until his master was occupied." His finger came down and flicked her forehead. "Stop being so impatient. You have forever. Enjoy this time that you'll be alone. After he returns, you'll never be alone again."

"Weren't you upset to be alone?" She asked while rubbing the spot that he flicked.

"I see your point, however, this is the last point of your life of being without responsibilities. Without having others to answer to and for. Not to mention that after this soul, he'll have untold amount of years before he will have to make another contract. Do you honestly think that you will get any measure of privacy after he returns?"

"No." She smiled. Looking back down at the pile in her hand, the red head set them on top of the bag and took her hands away.

"Good. Now, I think that you should get some sleep." Haagenti stood and went to the door.

"Wait." Serena waited for the demon to look at her again. "What am I supposed to do about school? I have to go back in a couple weeks if Sebastian still hasn't come to get me."

He smirked. "You and I both know that your school isn't in the same town and that is space enough. As long as you stop being so impatient and stop looking for him."

********************A Demon's Mate********************

The next day, Serena stared down at her clothes and wondered if she had always had so many black tops. After wearing bright colors in the past, her current wardrobe left something to be desired.

' _Talk about blending in with the background. Well, with what this hotel stay is going to cost me in the end, there is no room in the budget for shopping. And I am not asking Haagenti for clothes, just because I feel like being colorful.'_

Shaking her head at the thought, she grabbed the nearest t-shirt and jeans before heading to take a shower. When she came back out, freshly scrubbed and smelling of the pretty soap she found on her first day, Haagenti was sitting in what had become his chair in her mind. The red head threw a hand over her mouth to stop her screaming and held onto the door frame while she calmed down.

She glared at the smirking demon. "Not cool."

"I trust that you are having a good morning."

"I was before my mini-heart attack." She threw the clothes from the previous night at her bag. "All demons should wear bells, damn it."

"That wouldn't be very intimidating."

"Is that all your worried about?"

"Well, it seems something for a demon to be aware of."

Serena mumbled under her breath as she grabbed her makeup bag and went back into the bathroom. She left the door open so that she could see the demon back in the other room and could see if he moved to try to scare her again.

The demon merely looked at her through the mirror. "I came to see what your plans were today."

"Came to see if they included a trip to the airport?" She stopped putting her mascara on to glare at him.

"Perhaps."

Serena sighed and came back out with her little bag. "No. I'm going to wait like a good little mate. And he'll get an ear full later."

Haagenti nodded, obviously pleased with her decision. "Good."

"I actually thought that I would go see Undertaker."

"Thinking of what Spears said to you yesterday?"

"Well, he had a point." She stopped to check her purse and made sure her key card was in her wallet.

"You haven't eaten this morning."

"I'll grab something on the way," the red head smiled and went back to searching her bag.

"From where? You don't know the city."

"There are cafe's everywhere. I'm sure that I can find something." Serena looked up to find him holding a tray filled with food. "Has it occurred to you that maybe I'm not hungry?"

"No, now eat or I'll feed you." A dangerous glint flashed through his eyes, turning them the same swirling red that Sebastian's had from time to time.

She swiped the fork from his other hand and set it on the tray before taking it back to the bed. "Control freak."

"Elder," he corrected. "You should get used to it."

Haagenti watched her the entire time. When she pushed it away, he snapped his fingers and the tray disappeared. He stood with the same fluidity that she associated with Sebastian and straightened his black shirt.

"Do all demons wear black?"

He stared back at her for a moment, confused by the question. "We normally wear what makes us look the most appealing."

"Like you all need that," she mumbled but was sure he caught it anyway.

The demon turned back around with a playful smirk. "Why Serena, do you find me appealing?"

"I'd have to be dead not to. Don't make much of it." The red head slipped past the laughing Elder and headed for the elevator. As she passed the door next to hers, something occurred to her. "I haven't seen Edwin and Lucien lately."

"Since you have proven difficult to manage, they are running some errands for me."

Her shoulders slumped with guilt as the elevator closed. "So, I've gotten them downgraded to messenger boys."

"Pretty much. Not they weren't already."

When the doors opened, Serena saw how Haagenti checked the lobby before allowing her to step out. The sky was clouded over outside and the heavy feeling of coming rain filled the air. As they waited for a cab, she looked back at the demon.

"If they were just messengers, then why did Sebastian choose them to watch me?"

"Really, all members of the house are just messengers if the Elder chooses. Add to that, they are in my territory as a favor to your mate, so they are whatever I want them to be. Edwin and Lucien were trusted with the task of watching you because their loyalty is devoted to your mate." He held the cab's door open for her and slid in after. Giving the driver directions to their destination, Haagenti waited for them to pull out into traffic. "They have been with him the longest."

"But you knew him even before them."

"You remembered."

"Will you tell me now?" She bit her lip in anticipation. Questions already forming in her mind.

"No." He watched Serena deflate in front of his eyes and smirked. "I told you before, when you are in his home, you may come see me."

The rest of the trip was silent, the red head consumed with her pouting. A drizzle had started when they reached Undertaker's parlor and Serena hurried to the door.

"What brings you here? And still in the presence of another Elder no less." The reaper didn't move from his seat on one of his famous hand-made coffins as he watched the two in the doorway.

"I just thought that I would visit." Serena smiled. "And I was too much trouble for the others."

"A visit? I don't normally get visitors." Undertaker watched her for a moment before returning the smile and beckoning her forward. "I have some work to do this morning that I could use an artist's help with."

The red raised her hand with a laugh. "I may be qualified."

"Well, if you two will be busy, I have something else to take care of." Haagenti stepped back to the door.

"You're actually going to trust me on my own?"

"No, I'm trusting Undertaker with you."

The reaper started to chuckle at the pout on her face.

"Edwin and Lucien are supposed to be meeting us here. They may return before I do." The demon nodded his head at Undertaker and swept out the door without another word.

"It'd serve you right if I took off." She yelled after him.

"You won't do that." His voice echoed around the inside of the building and she remembered what the reaper had said about Haagenti in the past. His voice was his power and a feeling of dread slipped down her spine with his words.

"Now then," Undertaker waved for her to follow him into the back room that was still closed with only a curtain.

Serena looked around at the various stacks of wood piled according to species around the room. There was ample space to walk and she noticed the back of the large room had a table saw. Sawdust covered the floor and tools hung on the back wall. In the center of the room, on a raised platform, sat a small coffin.

She stopped to stare at the piece that was already taking shape. It had been meticulously put together out of a pretty blonde wood, the corners of the bottom carved to look like roses. On its top, the beginning of roses and lilies were already formed to cover the entire piece of wood and look as though they were spilling over.

She watched the reaper humming to himself as he took a couple of chisels down from the wall.

"I've already done the basic design, now it just needs the details refined. After that, we'll stain and seal it." He ignored her still staring at the coffin and slip one of the tools into her hand before going around the other side of the coffin.

The red stood still, looking at the chisel in her hands. Every time she looked up, she felt breakfast again before looking back to the tool.

"Serena."

"How...how can it not bother you to work on this?" She waved to the child-sized coffin without looking at it.

Undertaker looked up with a strange look on his face. It took her a moment to realize it was a serious look. "Should I have turned her parents down when they came to see me? Should I have left them to buy some machine manufactured piece that, while nice-looking, has no heart in it? Should I have forced them to choose something generic that they didn't really like? Should I have denied them this last gift to their child?"

Serena shook her head. Moving forward with jerky steps, she stood next to the coffin and looked down on the rough work the reaper had already done. She could see how beautiful it would be when it was completed. Undertaker had already started back to work on the other side, humming to himself. Each bloom took a more life-like look the longer they spent under his hands.

"I thought you wanted to help." He didn't look up from his work as he giggled.

She touched one of the flowers and a dark spot appeared on the wood next to her hand. Another bloomed next to it and she realized it was coming from her. Serena looked up to find Undertaker looking at her and stepped away, dropping the chisel to the floor.

"Why? I just don't get it."

"Even with all my years, I don't know. I do have a theory though." The reaper swept his hair behind him and leaned back over his piece. "I believe that it has to do with free will and the path that some are supposed to take. Sometimes, a soul takes the wrong path or will make the wrong choice, and death is a way to give them another chance. A way to start over and make their choice again."

"You think death is a reset button?"

He giggled. "Don't look at me like that. Why do you think it is call rebirth? It ia a starting over. Have you never been somewhere, been with someone and had a feeling that you have done this before? Have you never gotten a feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach? What do you do when that happens? You choose another path, find a reason not to be alone with that person. You learned something before and, though you may not remember it, you're making a different choice this time."

"I suppose." She had to admit that he had a point, but she didn't want to.

"Look at the little earl, he should have died with his family that night. For whatever reason, twist of fate, free will, whatever, he didn't. And look what he did. Perhaps, that was why he was supposed to die that night. To get a reset."

"I still don't think it's right."

"Be that as it may, it's beyond you or I to fix or complain. Now, this has to be done so it can be sealed tonight and it still needs to be sanded after the carving is done. We don't want this to be unfinished for Caroline's special day."

Serena picked up the chisel she had dropped and blew the sawdust off it. "You know, carving was never really my strong suit."

The reaper smiled and held out a piece of sand paper. "Go along behind me and get the rough edges. I'm sure that people will touch it and we don't want any splinters."

Nodding, she decided not to think about it. Because Undertaker was right. It wasn't her decision to make and there was nothing that she could do about it, but make this last thing as beautiful as possible. Making herself see only the carving, she was able to block out exactly what they were carving on with a little effort.

Serena didn't know how long they had worked when a soft song started to play, but the flowers were finished and they were both sanding. It took her a moment to realize the noise was coming from Undertaker while the reaper shook his butt to the beat. He set the paper he was using down and pulled a little phone from his pocket. The red head tried not to listen in but curiosity got the better of her. When she looked up from the rose she had finished, he was looking straight at her. She felt her face heat at being caught and ducked her head again.

"It seems that I will have to leave you for a while."

"What?" Her head shot up.

"Don't worry. As long as you don't leave the building, everything will be fine. There are wards around that keep trouble out." Undertaker straightened his hat with a giggle.

"Demons just walk in here."

"Ah, but they are not malicious." He giggled into his sleeve as he pushed the curtain aside and went into the front of the shop. "Just don't go anywhere. You know that trouble finds you when you're alone."

The red head followed him, sand paper still in hand. "Hey, I found the reapers when I was alone in London."

"That's my point." Undertaker sent her smirk over his shoulder before sweeping out the door.

Serena stuck her tongue out at the door before going back to the workroom. After finishing a couple of lilies, she found that she really couldn't concentrate by herself. Feeling nosy, she started poking around the large area, but there was nothing but more wood and tools to be found.

An actual door sat in the back corner and she opened it to find a little sitting room filled with the most obnoxiously loud furniture she had ever seen. Huge flowers, in colors that were never found in nature, glared at her from a lumpy sofa. Next to it, sat an over-stuffed chair in eggplant. The walls were papered in posters for bands, big and small, and movies that spanned the decades. On every flat surface, pictures and little portraits of people she didn't know sat clustered together. Turning to take in the whole room, Serena found another of Undertaker's signature robes hanging on a hook behind the door. Another hat sat on the table right beside the door. With a giggle, she slid the robe on over her clothes and settled the hat on her head. The hat dropped down to cover her eyes and the robe was long enough that she had to pick it up to walk, but she laughed and went back to exploring.

The pictures called to her again and Serena went to those first. Two stood out and she picked them up for a closer look. The first was Ciel, though he looked slightly older than when she had known him, standing next to the shop's wall of urns. There was something in the way he stood, the expression on his face, that made her think that this was a candid photo. The other looked like Alex but he was holding the hand of a man that she had only seen in a single painting and drawn herself from that painting. Both were dressed in clothing that she couldn't envision Alex ever wearing.

 _'It must be Ciel and Vincent.'_ The boy was slightly hiding behind his father's leg, barely standing past his knee and clinging to the hand he held. This picture was just as candid as the other, although Vincent looked unruffled. _'I have a feeling he always looked unruffled. I can't believe that Ciel's father brought him here as a child. Although, Vincent probably knew that Undertaker would be a valuable ally to the next Guard Dog. I wonder if this was the first time they met?'_

Serena ran her fingers over the glass before setting it down and moving on. Just off the living room was a tiny kitchen with only enough room for one person to move at a time. A little table sat in an alcove past the kitchen and she was saddened to see only one chair. The next door off of the living room was closed and she felt a twinge of guilt as she opened it. There really was only one other room that could be here.

In contrast to the rest of the little house, the bedroom was completely bare. There was no rug on the wood floor, nothing on the walls. Where she suspected there should have been windows, instead there were bricks to close the room off. A cot stood against the far wall, with no head board or foot board. Sterile sheets of white and a matching blanket covered the mattress. A tall dresser stood against the wall with the door. Another door stood open on a side wall and she could see a little bathroom that was as stark as the bedroom.

 _'This isn't a place to rest, it's a prison.'_ Serena backed out of the room quickly, tripping over the robe's length and found herself back in the living room. She was drawn back to the pictures and realized that they were really the only possession that he had. People that he had known that were long gone stared back at her from pieces of parchment, canvas and photo paper alike. There wasn't a single picture or portrait of anyone that was still alive.

A bell rang through the house and she realized someone must have come into the shop. Picking up the length of the robe, Serena ran through the workroom, kicking up sawdust behind her and pushed back the curtain.

"Undertaker, for a minute I didn't think that you were here." The blond woman turned from the window and stopped at seeing the red head in the mortician's clothes. "Serena?"

"Malory, how are you?" Serena smiled and came forward to hug the older woman.

"Fine." She pulled away to take in the red head's outfit. "What are you doing in Undertaker's clothes?"

Serena looked down at the robe she was still wearing and the hat came over her eyes again. "I got bored."

"So you decided to play dress up?"

"It's the latest trend." Serena flapped her arms, making the long sleeves billow out.

"I don't think that it suits you. The jeans don't really go with the rest of it." Malory waved to encompass the whole outfit.

"Yeah, and I'm missing those killer boots." She mumbled while pulling back the robe to look at her flip flops.

"I'm glad that I ran into you actually."

"What's up?" Serena let the robe drop back and waved Malory to sit on one of the coffins, taking a seat on the one across from it. "I'd offer you some tea, but I don't know how to make it. Or how to find it."

The blonde waved the offer off. "Have you decided how long you are staying in London?"

Thinking back to her conversation with Haagenti. "My last semester doesn't start for a couple weeks. I guess I'll just hang out until then. Why?"

"Well, you see." She stopped, choosing her words. "It's about Alex. I've never seen him get attached to anyone but family, and even then, only immediate family. He became depressed after you left and then he started saying that the man in the garden had left as well. When Henry said something about seeing you, he got upset and insisted that Henry bring you back to the manor. I told him that wasn't possible, we didn't even know where you were staying and he said I was taking Henry's side. Now, he won't talk to anyone."

"The silent treatment." Serena laughed. "I thought he was little young to use that."

"So did I. I didn't get the silent treatment from the girls until they were close to their teens. And there really isn't any way I can punish him. He doesn't watch a lot of TV or play video games. The only thing he is really into is books, and what kind of mother has a child who would rather read instead of play games and would take the books away. It's like he knows it too. He's just waiting for me to break."

"He's being difficult."

"He's being a brat. I just want to know where my son went."

Serena laughed. "It sounds like something Ciel would have done. Trust me, he's not going to break first."

Malory stood to pace the small shop, wringing her hands as she went. "What bothers me most is the nightmares. He's always had nightmares, but not like this. He's barely sleeping. In the morning we find him pacing, strangely enough, in Henry's office. It's like he's agitated all the time. There is something going on, but I don't know what. I thought that if you came to see him, he might calm down a bit. Or if you could get the man in the garden to come back."

"I'm sure that I could pull some strings. Sebastian owes me big for the wild goose chase he sent me on." Serena smiled.

"Wild goose chase?"

The red head waved for her to sit back down so that she could explain. "He's not here at all. He's in America, finishing up a contract. Sebastian set this whole thing up to keep me busy."

"I see."

"Yeah, so I'm pretty sure that I can get the demon in the garden back."

"Well, when you say it like that I'm not sure that I want him to come back."

For a moment, all Serena could see was the protective mother that had no trace of the refined lady. She leaned over and took the other woman's hand. "It'll be fine. He's been there long before Alex or even you were born and he hasn't done anything to harm your family. I doubt he'll start now."

The little bell rang over the shop door and both women looked up from their conversation. Haagenti stopped in the doorway and stared at Serena pushing the hat back on her head again. The Elder turned and pushed the other two back out the door. After a moment, the bell rang again as they came back in. He stared at her again before shaking his head.

"Why are you in Undertaker's clothes?"

Serena shrugged and swished the robe around her. "Why not? I'm running the shop for the time being and it's like a uniform."

Behind him, Edwin and Lucien were still staring at the smiling red head.

"Mr. Phillips. Mr. Michaels. I wasn't aware that you were still in London." Malory greeted the two demons.

Lucien smiled easily at the woman and came forward. Taking her hand, he placed a gently kiss on her knuckles. "The current situation has kept us in your fair city for the time being."

Serena saw the blush that started up Malory's face and leaned over to smack Lucien. The demon quickly let go of Malory's hand and stepped back. He bowed to his Elder's mate in apology.

"Serena." Malory scolded the younger woman.

"Trust me, there's nothing friendly about his flirting." She crossed her arms as she stared at the blonde. "Is there?"

Lucien gave her a wicked smirk as he slid into place behind her.

"You know them?" Malory pointed to the two demons.

"Yes. They're with me."

"They're not..."

"Yeah, I think that the supernatural are like an infection. You meet one and they spread." Serena nodded before looking at Haagenti, who was being quiet. "Do you know him?"

"No, I don't believe that we have met."

"Well, I'll let him introduce himself." She mumbled under her breath, "because I don't know what name he would give you."

The Elder glared at her for a moment before striding forward with an easy smile. She could practically see the demon charm working its way over Malory and was distracted watching the suspicion fade away to be replaced by another faint blush.

 _'There is no way that she's the Guard Dog. Ciel would never have gotten so flustered around demons. Of course, he was practically raised by one. Maybe the effect was dimmed by constant exposure? Maybe they're just doing it to her. Great, now I feel like that old, ugly spinster with a dozen cats.'_

The demons watched the different emotions move across her face before Serena finally noticed them again.

"Sorry, weird thought. So Malory, why are you here anyway?"

"I needed to talk to Undertaker about something that I'm working on."

Serena looked down at her outfit again. "Well, I guess that I'm filling in." She flopped back onto the coffin she previously occupied and threaded her fingers together. "Do you have...the payment?"

"I think that I should just wait."

"Oh, come on." The red head poked her in the side. "Maybe I know. Maybe the magic's in the hat. You know, like Frosty."

From behind her she heard Lucien start humming Frosty the Snowman. A smack was heard around the shop and the humming stopped.

The expression on Malory's face completely changed to all business. "Alright, I'm looking into the disappearances of several tourists around London."

Serena thought for a moment, took the hat off and rubbed it between her hands. She put the hat back on, letting it fall to cover her eyes. When she pushed it back, the red head pouted. "Nope. It's not in the hat. I got nothing, other than a suspicion that I'm about to be bait."

"That's not going to happen." Haagenti glared down at her, making the girl flinch back.

"Okay then."

The bell sounded again and the whole shop looked at the door. Undertaker walked in with William, Grell and Ronald behind him.

"Hey, the gang's all here." Serena waved her overly long sleeves at them. She turned to look at Haagenti. "Is it not weird that we all end up here?"

The shop was quiet for a moment before Undertaker burst out laughing. Everyone watched as the silver-haired reaper came stumbling forward to drape himself around his look-a-like. Serena smiled and found herself laughing with him. Neither saw Ronald's hand holding his phone up to the two or heard the snap of a picture being taken.

Lucien sidled up next to the reaper with a smile. "Can you send me that?"

An ocean away, a demon checked the message that had come through while tending to his Master.

'Elder, you may want to hurry. Your mate is going native.'

Scrolling down, crimson eyes grew wide at the sight of Serena dressed in Undertaker's clothing, the both of them holding onto each other and laughing.


	39. Chapter 39

Author's Note: I know that I really need to wrap this up, I had no intention of this going this far. I keep getting ideas and soon, I'm just going to write them down and I may do a one shot series later. For right now, this will be the last arc before the end.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, the demons and the descendents that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Thirty Nine

Serena smiled as they pulled down the drive of the manor house and felt the same excitement that she had in the past when the house came into view. Haagenti had gotten a hold of Sebastian and authorized the return of the Carthrage guard demon but the red head still wanted to see them all again. The Elder had also pulled a car out of nowhere and sent her along with Lucien and Edwin without another word. When she asked why he was trusting her not to run off for America, he informed her that he had blacklisted her passport, with a smile.

The idea still made her fume. "Pushy demons."

"Is there a problem, my lady?" Edwin looked across the front seat and saw the red head glaring at something. "Do you wish to return to the hotel?"

"No. Sorry, I was just thinking about something else." Serena waved it off and looked at the house as he stopped in front of the stairs. The footman appeared at her door, opening it with a smile.

After getting out, she noticed that Edwin didn't get out of the car. "You're not staying?"

"No, my lady." The demon's eye shifted to the roof of the house. "You have more than enough protection here and I have been summoned elsewhere. You only need to call me when you are finished with your visit. We will not be far."

Serena followed his line of sight but didn't see anything. "Okay. I guess I'll see you later."

"Have a good evening, my lady."

The car was already on it's way down the drive when she reached the top of the stairs. _'Really, who has he got watching this house that they scare Edwin?'_

The butler was waiting at the door, looking a little stressed. He still welcomed her to the house with the proper form beaten in through years of training and work. "Miss Serena, welcome back. My lord and lady are not at home at present."

"That's okay, I came to see Alex actually." She smiled, still wondering why he was nervous and showing it. If anything Jameson became more nervous as soon as she said the boy's name.

"Well, that may not be possible. Master Alex is a little out of sorts this evening."

"He's sick?"

The man looked away from her. "Not exactly."

A thud came from the floor above them and Serena looked up. A feeling of dread hit her and she shoved the man out of the way before running for the stairs. The butler stayed behind her the whole time, trying to change her mind. Begging her to give them a moment to inform Master Alex that she was here. There was nothing he could do to bar her way as Malory had already told them all that Serena was a welcomed guest and had full permission to see her son. All he could do was plead from behind her.

At the top of the stairs, Serena heard yelling coming from the direction of what had once been Ciel's office. The butler was still behind her as she noticed that there were no servants in the hallway, no footman stood ready to run errands or notes, no maids were tidying up.

Throwing the door of the office open, Serena only had a moment to see the ring of servants around the outer edge of the room before a book came flying at her head. She ducked in time for the butler to grab it out of the air.

"Don't touch me!"

Serena pushed to the front of the group, expecting to see one of the servants doing something to the boy and the rest watching. Instead she saw Alex with another book in hand, prepared to throw while a maid was kneeling on the floor trying to get closer to the small boy. The fireplace behind him gave a magnificent backdrop for the rage written all over his face as he threw the book in his hand. It sailed easily past Serena's face and the relief from finding a child throwing a tantrum instead of what she had feared, turned quickly to anger.

"Hey!" She pointed at him, feeling her own rage. "You hit me with one of those books and I'll beat your ass with it."

"Serena?"

The maid on the floor looked at in horror. "Miss Serena, you can't."

"You all bow to him, I don't." She looked back at the boy. "Make your choice."

She could see the wheels in his head turning, deciding which way to move in this unexpected situation. Blue eyes flicked over the assembled in the room that were waiting to react. Dropping the book, Alex ran forward and wrapped himself around her leg. Serena heard a sniffle and saw the servants relax a little.

Waving her hand behind her, the red head waited until she heard the door close behind the last person. When it was just the two of them in the room, she looked down at the boy that was still holding her leg.

"Give it up, kid. You let your mask slip too far."

Angry blue eyes looked up at her before letting go of her leg and stepping back. Serena sighed and slid down to sit on the floor that was littered with the remains of his tantrum. Alex stood in front of her, not sure of what to say as he wiped the useless tears from his face.

"So, what's up?"

"They left me alone," he said simply. As though that one sentence explained everything while conveying the expectation for her to be on his side.

"And you think that entitles you to act like a raging brat?"

"They left me alone." He looked away. "I don't like to be alone."

"Honey, you're in a house full of servants. You aren't alone." Serena held out her hands, trying to coax the Alex to her. Instead, he pulled further away.

"It's not the same. They're here because my parents pay them to be here. They're not here because they want to be." He stomped his foot on the floor and Serena had to remind herself not to laugh at the picture he made.

"Well, if someone was throwing stuff at you, would you want to be here?"

After a moment, he shook his head.

"Are you shaking your head because you get it or because you know that's what I want to see?" She caught the small glare he shot her and laughed. "I got you now. It seems that genius does run in the family, even the extended one."

"What do you mean?"

"Your ancestor was a genius too, as well as a master at showing the world the face they wanted to see." She rubbed a hand over his hair. "This exact same face."

"He's the one the man in the garden tells me about. The one that looks like me." Alex smiled as he figured it out.

"That's right, but unlike you, he had respect for the people that served him, at least a little."

The boy pouted and she was reminded of Ciel again. Smiling, she pulled him into her arms. Cuddling the child, she laid her head against his. He was just so cute.

"Don't you think that you should apologize?"

"I never have before."

"I thought so. What's the deal? You throw a tantrum and they call your parents when it gets so bad."

"And then they come home."

"Alex..." She shook her head and stood. "Come on. Look at it this way, an apology will renew your whole adorable facade while throwing them into a false sense of security for the next tantrum you have."

Alex looked thoughtfully at her then smiled and nodded. Taking her hand, he led them out of the room at a run. The servants were still assembled in the hall, waiting to see the little lord.

He bowed while still holding Serena's hand. "I'm sorry that I was acting like an ungrateful brat and I am happy that you all are here with me while my family is away."

The performance was perfection and Serena watched each of the adults' faces fall into a smile. Several of the maids looked like they were restraining themselves from hugging the little boy with his contrite face and solemn voice. Each bowed back to him and Alex gave them all a brilliant smile. Jameson was just as susceptible as the rest and came forward with a smile.

"Would you like to have tea with your guest, young master?"

Serena's head shot up and she stared at the butler. Of course, it wasn't unusual for Jameson to call Alex that. It was who he was. Knowing that didn't stop her from feeling a pang in her chest.

"In the garden!" He jumped with a brilliant smile as the butler nodded. Grabbing Serena's hand, he pulled the red head toward the stairs. "Come on, we can play marco polo in the maze."

She laughed and shook her head as she followed him. The rest of the house watched them go and she could tell that his tantrum was already forgotten.

********************A Demon's Mate*******************

"Marco!" Serena waited at the intersection of three paths and listened for an answer.

"Polo!" Alex's giggling voice came from her right and the red head took off in the direction.

She knew that they needed to go inside, Alex really should have been in bed a while ago. They had no business running around the hedge maze at 10 at night. The red head reasoned that the longer she kept him busy, the more time his parents would have to mingle with other adults. Claire and Annabelle had been invited to a slumber party with one of their friends and weren't expected home until late morning. They had the house to themselves, except for the servants and most of them had gone to bed. There was only the night staff and Jameson now, surely watching their little game through the upstairs windows.

Serena found herself at another cross roads. "Marco!"

Waiting for a few moments, she never heard an answer.

"Marco!" Still no sound came back at her.

"Alex?" The red head picked a direction at random, heading for the direction that she last heard him. She kept yelling, getting no answer as she picked up her pace. She looked down each path as it appeared. There was no one else around.

Finally, Serena heard a faint voice excitedly babbling down a different path. She took off running, following the sound through the turns and dead ends. Alex's voice grew louder the closer that she got and she could hear him talking about what had happened the last couple of days.

Rounding the last corner, she found the boy waving his hands as he described the tower he had built by himself and he little town around it. Leaning against the bushes, was a shadowed figure listening intently as the child showed how big the tower had been before he knocked it down with his cavalry officers.

"Alex."

"Serena! You found me." Alex ran over and grabbed the red head's hand.

"Yeah, even after you stopped answering me."

He had the grace to look a little sheepish. "Sorry. But, look, he came back." The boy pointed behind him to the man in the shadows.

The demon bowed a little when she looked at him.

"I was telling him what he missed." Alex turned back, letting go of Serena and going back to his friend. "We can build another tower now that you're back. It'll be even bigger since I'll have help this time."

The red head watched as he babbled on about the tower that they were going to build. Now, it was going to be as big as the house and they could ride real horses through it and it wouldn't fall down because they would build it out of real bricks instead of his blocks.

"And Serena can be the princess in the tower and you could find a dragon that will guard her and she'll have to stay forever."

She laughed at the thought. If anyone could find a dragon, it would be a demon. Serena shook her head as she saw the little genius revert back to being a simple kid in front of his 'friend'. Absently, she wondered if this was an act too, or if he really became that excited to forget all his plans and manipulating.

Alex started yawning between sentences and Serena took the chance to interrupt. "I think it's time for someone to go to bed."

"No!"

The red head saw a flash of fear go through his eyes before he grabbed the demon's hand and sunk into the shadows with him.

"I need to tell him about my lessons."

"He's not going anywhere, Alex. You can tell him all about it tomorrow."

"But," he started. Alex looked up when the demon took his hand back and gave the boy a little push toward Serena.

"Come on." Serena held out her hands and watched as he drug his feet walking toward her. The shadow had disappeared but she could tell he was following them out of the maze from somewhere. There was a strange comfort knowing he was watching, but the feeling of off was still there as it was the first time she came here in this century.

As the doors leading into the lighted house came into sight, Alex stopped and looked up at Serena. He looked like he wanted to ask something but wasn't quite comfortable with it.

"What?"

"Will you stay?" His voice came out quiet, barely a whisper. "Until my parents get back."

"Tell you what, how about I stay the night?"

"Okay." Alex brightened considerably and tightened his grip on her hand.

"What is the big deal about not having your parents here anyway?"

His voice was small and it was obvious that he didn't want to tell her. "I get scared when I'm alone."

"Then you get angry? Yup, you're a Phantomhive alright."

"No, I'm not." His huge, blue eyes blinked up at her, confused. "I'm a Carthrage."

"A long time ago, your family used to be called the Phantomhive's."

"Oh."

"But, that's a secret. You can't tell anyone."

He nodded with a serious expression that was out of place on his young face.

"Why are you scared to be alone? Nothing is going to get you here."

Alex looked around at the garden for a moment. When his eyes met hers again, that serious expression was still there.

"You told me a secret, so I can tell you one. Right?" He scuffed his foot against the ground, not really looking at her.

Serena knelt on the ground so that they were somewhat eye level. "Of course you can."

"I'm scared to be alone because there's another little boy in the house."

"If he's bullying you Alex, you should tell your parents."

He shook his head violently. "They can't see Jonathan. No one sees him. He only comes when I'm alone and the man in the garden isn't here. He shows up in my mirror and talks to me when I'm trying to sleep."

She felt the demon that had been following them step closer behind her.

"What does he say to you?"

He started to back away, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Well, you did. So spill."

"I want to go inside." Alex started up the stairs, but Serena pulled him back.

"I want to know what this boy says to you."

"I'm not supposed to tell. I'm not supposed to say anything." He looked at the ground as he kept trying to pull away.

"Alex, he scares you." Serena waited for him to nod. "Then we should get rid of him. We can't do that unless we know something about him."

Her heart broke when she saw a little tear course down his cheek, a real one this time.

"He won't hurt you, Alex. I promise."

"It's not me. He says that he'll hurt Daddy and Mummy and take them away. That he'll get rid of Claire and Annabelle and I'll be alone all the time. He says it'll be just like before, but they've always been here. I don't understand." He threw himself at Serena and she curled around the small body as he cried into her shoulder.

"Shh, it's okay. Nobody is going to hurt your family." She stroked his hair as he cried. Picking him up, she looked at the demon in the shadows once more. "You, don't go anywhere."

He bowed in acknowledgment and watched as the two went into the house.

Sometime later, Serena had finally gotten Alex settled into a fitful sleep in her guest room. With the excuse of wanting to think, she had laid on the bed and stared at the canopy. After a few minutes, Alex had crawled into the bed with her and curled around the red head. A short time later, his eyes had closed and his breathing evened.

She reached for the phone that she had left on the bedside table and scrolled through the list of contacts looking for the number Edwin had programmed into her phone earlier. It had barely rang when her call was picked up.

"My lady, are you ready to return?"

"No. I'm actually staying here for the night." Serena stroked the head that was laying on her shoulder.

"I see. Is there something that you needed?"

"Are there any other demons at this house?"

"There is only the one guard for the family, my lady. Elder Haagenti has demons in London, however, I was told that all others are ordered to stay away from the Carthrage House and family."

Serena sighed. "There is something here, Edwin. Alex has been seeing a little boy in his mirror."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.

"My lady, I apologize, but have you considered that perhaps the boy is seeing things that are not there?"

"No. I felt something was off the first time that I came here, but I chalked it up to the demon that Sebastian left here. It's not him though, I feel safe when he's around. This is something else."

"I see." The demon was quiet, thinking about what she said.

"Do you know how to get a hold of Haagenti?"

"Yes."

"I want to talk to him, ASAP."

"I will contact the Elder on your behalf."

"Thank you."

The call cut off and Serena set her phone on the table again. Her eyes traced the room, another guest room that was just as anonymous as any other, and fell on the mirror above the vanity. Even though Alex had said that he only saw the other boy in his mirror, she still shivered at the thought of someone watching her.

Moving slowly, she slid out from under Alex. After tucking the blankets around him, she started to walk around the room. Thinking about what he had told her, she felt pulled to the mirror again. The red head went to the armoire and looked for something to cover the glass. In the back, there was an extra set of sheets and she took one. As she stood in front of the mirror, something, a feeling in the pit of her stomach, made her scared to cover it, scared to even go near it. Twisting her hands in the cotton, she took a step back before shaking herself and throwing it over the frame.

The window opened and she jumped. Haagenti smirked as he stood in the center of the room. Serena saw shadows slide through the opening, one taking up residence on the other side of the bed. Lucien and Edwin came up on either side of her.

"You wanted to speak to me?" The Elder clasped his hands in front of him as he watched Serena.

"I want to know what the hell is going on in this house."

Haagenti raised an eyebrow at her tone. "I do not understand. This house has basically remained your mate's territory and I stay out of it. His demon stays here full-time, his other demons come here to check periodically. I have been known to stop by and check myself, but not very often. It was part of our deal that I make sure that nothing supernatural happens here. However, if something is going on, those three would know more than I."

"But if you're the Elder of London," she pointed a finger at him. "All the demons have to check in with you. And Edwin has already said that there are no other of Sebastian's demons here. So, it has to be coming from your area."

"I'm not sure I like what you are implying." The Elder pulled himself up straighter, taller.

"I'm not implying anything. I'm saying that you're failing."

Haagenti snarled at the red head and took a step closer. Edwin and Lucien stepped in front of her. Both knew that they could not defeat him, but they couldn't let the demon harm their Elder's mate without a fight. Even the demon watching Alex had come closer, ready to leave the shadows if needed.

The Elder took a deep breath and stepped away from the trio. He took a moment to pace the room a little and calm himself down. When he looked back, Serena had pushed Edwin and Lucien away.

"Edwin has told me what the claim is. Has it not occurred to you, that perhaps the boy is lying?"

"He's too frightened to be lying." The red head crossed her arms as she faced the demon. "He would also have to have knowledge of the Phantomhive family that he doesn't have yet."

Haagenti walked over to the mirror that she had covered and pulled the sheet away. Going back to the center of the room, he waved the others to stand back.

"I will look for something unusual. To do so, I will have to raise my power level to make anything unusual come to the surface. You will probably pass out."

Serena nodded and went to sit on the bed next to Alex. She felt it start. A thickening in the air, a prickling along her skin that accompanied the beautiful voice that rose from the demon's throat. Her pulse sped up as she felt the power surround her. Darkness edged her vision and she looked around the room again, knowing that she was going under.

In the mirror, she saw an angry face of a boy morphing into a man before everything went black.

******************A Demon's Mate**************

Serena opened her eyes again and saw Haagenti leaning over her. The demon stood back as soon as she woke. Sitting up, she saw Alex was still asleep.

"You were correct."

She watched the Elder admit his mistake and saw the anger at having to do so. She also saw that the mirror had been covered again, this time with the heavy drapes that used to cover the window.

"Where are Edwin and Lucien?" The red head looked around her, taking in Alex still sleeping in the bed beside her. The boy was much more peaceful than she had seen him earlier.

"I sent Edwin to delay the Carthrages' return home. Lucien is fetching the Undertaker."

"Undertaker?"

"Whatever is in this house, it was once human." Haagenti looked around the room. "We will need a reaper. A powerful one."

Serena noticed someone else was missing as well.

"Where's Alex's guard?"

"I sent him to retrieve one of my house." He watched her for a moment. "Whenever a spirit manages to evade the reapers, it attaches itself to something physical. One of my demons has the ability to see this object for what it is."

Serena got up and stretched, feeling uncomfortable.

"The effect will last for a while." The Elder stepped back.

"This is you?"

"Yes. Being surrounded by another demon's power when your mating hasn't been completed, is always uncomfortable for the mate. Your body rejects the pull of another's power and leaves you feeling like you want to run away. Because your body feels threatened."

"Well that's lovely."

He smirked. "We should go downstairs, Undertaker will be here shortly."

Serena put a hand on Alex's head. "I'm not leaving him. Especially without his guard here."

The demon walked forward and picked the child up, only to put him back down immediately.

"What is it?"

"Whatever is here, it's feeding off of him. I can feel the connection between them." Haagenti wrapped Alex in the sheet from the bed so that no part of their bodies would come in contact before picking him up again.

"I wanted to ask, Alex said that the other boy shows up when the man in the garden isn't here. But, I thought that he was supposed to stay at the manor." The red head hurried to catch up with him as they passed the servants that had passed out in the hallway.

"It is not a child's soul in this house. Evil spirits will sometimes appear as children to make the living invite them in. I am unsure of how the spirit was able to mask itself so well. As for the boy's guard, he follows the family anywhere they go. However, he does have permission to leave the family to feed occasionally. It is normally in times when there is the least amount of threat to the earl or his heir."

"So he leaves for years at a time?" As they walked through the halls, Serena noticed that the servants were all asleep in their places as they passed.

"You are thinking of your demon, who has to contract. Only Elders make contracts because they feed on mortal souls. Lower demons feed on essence. He could be back in as little as an hour or less if needed. In times when he needs to stay, he can use the servants of the house in a pinch."

"Oh." She grew quiet as she thought about it. "Why doesn't anyone call him by his name?"

"Most demons are protective of their true names. Names have the power to bind us, which is why our contract holders give us a name to bind us to them for the duration of the contract."

"But I know Lucien and Edwin's names."

"They are your guards and yours to command."

"But, Malory knows their names too."

"It was their choice to give it," he said as if he would never have done something so stupid.

They reached the bottom of the main stairs at the same time that the door opened. Lucien ushered Undertaker into the main hall with a bow. Serena watched as the smile on his face disappeared. The reaper stopped in the middle of the floor and looked around the space.

"I see why you wanted me, even though William would have been happy to come." He walked around, his heels clicking on the tile. "It's ancient and very powerful to have stayed this long. And stayed hidden from so many demons. Even I never noticed, and I have been in this house, in all its incarnations, on several occasions."

"Why can you feel it now?" Serena asked as she took Alex from the demon.

"Elder Haagenti's power must have flushed it out. I also believe that he has bloated himself with power from feeding on our little friend here." Undertaker waved to the boy held in the demon's arms. "It is hard to hide himself now."

"You speak as though you know who it is, Undertaker." Lucien spoke up hesitantly.

The reaper nodded, not a trace of his usual humor on his face. "The first Earl of Phantomhive developed quite a taste for the occult when he started looking into the underbelly of London society. When I first came in, I felt him as though he were standing here with us."

"The occult." Haagenti scoffed. "Humans meddling in things that they should stay away from."

"You know, you're insulting how people call you." Serena glared at him, but the demon just smirked.

"You don't need to call a demon. They'll come on their own, if you're tasty enough." Haagenti handed Alex's sleeping body to Serena and looked to the double doors.

The door opened again and a beautiful woman walked in. She was tall, long legs exposed by her short dress ate up the floor as she came to bow in front of her Elder. Heavy, brunette waves fell down her back and swung toward the floor as she bowed, her red dress giving a glimpse of her generous curves. Serena shifted next to Undertaker.

The reaper smiled at her and mouthed, 'feeling a little intimidated?'

'Shut up.'

'I'm not speaking.'

She glared at him and they saw the others had noticed them. The woman looked down on Serena before turning back to Haagenti.

"Corrine," the Elder growled. "You will show respect to an Elder's mate."

The brunette looked away, chastised. When Corrine looked back up, she bowed to Serena. But nothing hid the arrogance that radiated from her perfect body.

"Forgive me." She straightened, looking over the red head again. "It's just that I thought that my former Elder's mate would be more..."

Haagenti snarled and grabbed the other demon by her heavy hair. The sound of cracking echoed through the hall as he forced the demon onto her knees, her forehead on the floor. Serena started forward, but Undertaker grabbed her arm. The reaper shook his head and watched the display, his expression completely closed.

"I see you need to be reminded that you are beneath her."

They all remained still for a moment as the demon on the floor considered her position.

"I'm sorry, Elder."

"Don't apologize to me." His hand tightened in her hair and Corrine cried out.

"I apologize, Lady Serena."

"Better." Haagenti twisted his hand one last time before letting go.

Serena watched the other woman pulled herself and noticed the hatred that was written over her face as Corrine refused to look at her.

"You were brought here to look for a trinket that a soul has attached itself to. Nothing else." Haagenti waited for her to acknowledge his order. "I suggest that you get started before I forget your usefulness."

"Yes, Elder." The brunette stepped away from them, still not looking at Serena, and walked around the hall. Serena could feel little flicks along her skin as Corrine moved around the room, using her power to search.

"I think that we should get Alex out of the house. If whatever here is feeding on him, than if he leaves, wouldn't that take some of his power away?" Serena looked down at the boy in her arms.

The sound of something snapping was their only warning. Undertaker grabbed Serena, throwing the red head and her burden across the room as the chandelier hit the floor, plunging the room into darkness. Lights came back on in intervals along the halls, but there was nothing in the main hall, leaving them all in the shadows. She felt someone grab the boy from her arms and saw a flash of black. Undertaker urged the two out of the house, using his deathscythe to cut through the double doors that had shut and locked as they got to them.

"Get him away from here. Off any land that belonged to Phantomhive or Carthrage at any time."

Serena struggled to sit up, holding the back of her head. A groan above her made the red head scramble away. One of the paintings on the wall dropped where she had been. The reaper pulled her to her feet and looked around for anything else. Paintings flew from the walls, decorations soared at their party. Everyone crowded around Serena, keeping the human in the middle of them as the wreckage continued. Finally, there was nothing else to throw and tremors through the floor took their turn.

"He's made the entire house into a weapon." Undertaker looked to Haagenti. "To Jonathan, it all still belongs to him."

"Why is it going after her?" Corrine nodded to the red head.

"She got Alex to talk about it. Serena was the one that called us all here and she was the one that made Haagenti check the house. She's also the one that suggested that Alex leave. He's trying to scare her." Undertaker stepped around the shattered chandelier, looking at everything.

"Mission accomplished."

The reaper laughed as Serena pulled a piece of glass out of her hair. Looking into a mirror, the only thing still on the walls and that showed the hall behind her, she gasped as a face appeared next to hers.

The face screamed and a dark mass came from the glass and shot through her body. She heard the yelling and snarls behind her as she felt the same pain as in the past, the same blood filing her chest, her lungs struggling for air once more. The marble floor was harder than the snow-covered ground that she had fallen on before. The hand painted ceiling different than the starry sky she had looked at in the past.

"Serena!" Undertaker skidded on the floor into her line of sight.

"It's happening...again."

"What's happening?" Haagenti knelt down on her other side, looking for an injury.

"Shot."

The demon looked over her body, confused. "Serena, you weren't shot again."

"Feels...like it."

"It's an illusion." Undertaker leaned closer. "It's just an illusion. He's making you remember that night, but you're not injured."

"Her pulse is out of control." Lucien spoke up from watching the corners of the room.

"Her mind thinks that she's dying." The reaper ran his hand over her chest and waved it in front of her face. "Look at it, see the proof. There's no blood. You were not shot again."

"He's trying to push her into a heart attack." Haagenti put his hand on her chest and felt the organ's erratic beat.

"It's not so simple. If her mind thinks her body is dying, the body will follow what the mind believes." Undertaker took her hand, felt the coldness that covered her skin.

"Serena. Stop it, right now." Haagenti shoved the reaper out of the way to make sure that she looked at him. "There is nothing wrong with you and I refuse to believe that you are weak enough to die over an illusion."

"Touch her."

"What?"

Undertaker stepped away and waved the other demons to the girl on the floor. "She can't stand for other demons to touch her. All of you, put your hands on her skin."

Corrine wrapped her long fingers around one of the girl's wrists as Lucien took the other. Serena jerked as though trying to get away from them. Haagenti moved to kneel by her head and laid his hands on either side of her face. Undertaker circled around them, watching the rest of the room. He could hear her moaning, trying to get away, and her heart started to gain a rhythm.

"Haagenti, use some of your power on her. It will push whatever Jonathan is trying to make her see away."

Green eyes looked at the demon above her, fear the only emotion in them as the Elder opened his mouth and began to sing.

Beautiful notes blended with Serena's scream and echoed through the house as she jerked away, throwing herself to the side. She coughed and gagged as she tried to catch her breath, her hands shakily holding her over the marble floor as the illusion faded. Slowly, her arms let go and the red head curled in on herself on the floor. The demons stayed away as she shivered on the floor.

"God, what do you feed on?"

"Greed." Haagenti moved closer to her again.

She jerked away from the hand he held out. "It's freezing."

"Wrath and envy and lust are hot. Greed, sloth, and pride are cold sins."

"What's gluttony?" She shook violently again.

"Depends on what you glutton yourself on."

"Why don't you die?" A voice screamed around them and Serena looked over to the mirror again. A black mass moved within the confines of the frame in a pattern, twisting and turning back and forth, faster and faster. She watched as Undertaker walked quickly to the framed glass and smashed it with his scythe. As the pieces fell to the floor, the red head felt the weight on her chest lessen, letting her breathe a little easier.

"It's the mirrors. He can see everything in the house through them, but it's also how he pushed his power through." Serena put a hand on her chest. "The pain went away as soon as you broke it."

"So, we need to break all the mirrors in the house." Lucien stood and brushed the crystal from the broken chandelier off his pants.

"Wait." Haagenti helped Serena to her feet. "We can't forget that his hold on the house is connected to whatever his soul is tied to. There will also be a place in the house that he hides. A place of power."

"That's normally in the basement." Corrine looked at her nails as she spoke. "Humans think that the darkness of being held in the earth helps them concentrate."

"No, the ballroom." Serena grabbed the Elder's arm. "If it hasn't been remodeled in the last hundred years, the ballroom is nothing but mirrors. If mirrors are his power, then the ballroom..."

"Is his place of power." Undertaker came over and took the red head's arm. "You and I will go to the ballroom and smash the mirrors. Haagenti should go with Corrine, he can amplify her power to find the relic easier."

"What do I do?" Lucien looked at all of them, feeling useless.

"Go through the rooms of the house, the basement and the attic as well, and smash all the mirrors that you find. That will make it so he has nowhere to run and will stop him from seeing what we are up to. Get everyone else out of the house. He'll go after anyone to keep us busy."

The blonde nodded and set off, soon followed by the sound of breaking glass. Haagenti held out something to Serena as she and the reaper passed. She was surprised to see an iron bar.

"Cold iron is traditionally used against magic. One of the few things that the humans got right. Break all the mirrors on your way and don't think about the bad luck."

Serena nodded with a small smile and followed behind the reaper into the darkened house.


	40. Chapter 40

Author's Note: Nothing to note at this time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty

"Upstairs." Corrine looked up as she spoke after Undertaker and Serena had left them.

"Let's go." Haagenti waved the woman to go ahead of him into the darkened halls.

As they climbed the stairs, she could feel his anger with her was still there and found herself fidgeting as they moved through the house.

Corrine popped her head into the first door that they came to but felt nothing and closed it again. "Elder, I would like to apologize for my behavior."

"I would certainly hope so, for your sake." He stayed back, letting her take the lead.

"I don't know what came over me." Her voice was unusually harsh for the demon he knew. Corrine was always held together, secure in herself. Even when she had been moved to his house without notice.

"Are you saying that you like Serena now?"

"I wouldn't say that. But, I know your vengeance for my disrespect. I would never have done something like that deliberately. I know how to keep my feelings to myself. Especially, concerning the mate of an Elder."

Haagenti stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Elder?"

"I wonder." He looked around them, seeing nothing but the servants still passed out. "I wonder if this Jonathan can manipulate the emotions of others in the house. Even demons."

"I felt a surge of anger when I stepped onto the property." The brunette shrugged. "I just thought that it was being called to help her and tried to bury it."

"Corrine," He warned.

"I know, but I am being honest."

Haagenti raised an eyebrow. "Are you jealous of Serena? Are you contending that you love your former Elder?"

She shook her head. "No, I did not love him. But I was angry to be moved without a word because he was worried about having us in the same house. I know that our arrangement would have ended if he found his mate. He didn't need to toss me away."

Corrine gasped as the Elder's hand landed on her head and realized that her hands had clenched into fists.

"You're growing angry again."

She nodded and took a moment to calm herself.

"He was manipulating you to attack Serena yourself. Jonathan would not have had to show himself and we would have been distracted dealing with you."

"I would never have attacked an Elder's mate on my own."

"I know. It's a death sentence with all of us there and I never thought you stupid enough to try something like that." Haagenti took his hand back and started down the hall again.

"Elder," she waited for him to stop. "I do appreciate your taking me in after I was pushed out."

He nodded, a softening in his face. "Then make yourself useful to me."

Corrine smiled and took the lead again.

*********************A Demon's Mate***********************

Serena stayed behind Undertaker as they made their way to the ballroom, the iron rod held tightly against her chest. She jumped every time his scythe smashed into a mirror on the wall that was in their path. She had never noticed how many were scattered around the house and tried to remember how many she had seen in her time staying with Ciel, surely not this many.

The double doors leading to the ballroom appeared in front of them. Undertaker looked over his shoulder and made sure that she was still with him and still willing to go inside this place.

"Serena. It's possible that his power will be exponentially more here if you are correct. I want to make sure that you are not going to try to die on me again." There was no laughter in his voice and made the red head a little more nervous than she was already.

"It's not like I had any control over that." She glared at him, but the reaper just smiled.

"Yes, you did. That is the point." He turned to face her. "Everything that he does is manipulation. You have to be secure in your reality to defeat him."

The red head nodded, feeling guilty that she had believed the lie enough to worry him.

Undertaker sighed and looked at the doors again. "I have a feeling that Jonathan has orchestrated much of the tragedy that has always followed his descendants."

"But, how?"

"He manipulates the decisions they make while in the house. When they leave it, they find the repercussions of those decisions. Thinking on it now, he changes their thought process after they take on the title. I noticed it with Vincent, but thought it was the pressure of being Earl and Guard Dog at such a young age, that changed his way of thinking and reacting. He was only a teenager. But then Ciel became both even younger and didn't seem to make the same choices that Vincent did."

"But Ciel had someone else influencing his decisions."

"Yes, but even the demon couldn't break his need to stay in this house." Undertaker looked at her carefully. "You weren't around for their early years, so you didn't see it. Mr. Butler tried several times to get Ciel to participate in London life. Many of the social battlefields are found in the ballrooms of the nobles. Also, his work for the queen was always carried out in London. All of his businesses were based in London. It simply made more sense for him to live at the townhouse until he had a family of his own, but Ciel refused. As a child, he enjoyed following his father to parties and meetings in town, even though he was shy. After he became Earl, Ciel cut himself off from everyone else but his demon. I thought that it was because of the death that surrounded him, but now I'm not so sure."

The reaper took off his hat and pushed his hair out of his eyes to better see their environment.

"Alex attached himself to the demon that guards this house, because he protects him from Jonathan, even without realizing it. I wonder if the little Earl had been so desperate for his demon to stay for the same reason."

Serena tightened her grip on the iron rod she carried and looked to the double doors leading into the ballroom. As they watched, the doors creaked open on their own, beckoning them in with an open invitation to the monster's lair.

*********************A Demon's Mate*********************

 _'You have to be secure in your reality.'_

Something Haagenti had to figure out the hard way. The further they went into the upper floor, the more both demons noticed the sheer amount of mirrors that had been used to decorate. Along with heavy gilt mirrors, were little mirrored cabinets, antiques with mirror pieces set in them, as well as picture frames that had been polished to reflect the world around them. Several had been carefully placed to be easily over-looked.

As the Elder had looked into one hanging on the wall, his intent to smash the glass, a vision of his Zachery appeared. The man was sitting in the library his demon had built for him, head bowed over a tome that Haagenti had reproduced and the man had read before. Zachery's blonde hair glinted in the eternal twilight that was shining through the balcony doors, open to allow the breeze to slide within the room and play with the pages of notes his mate had sitting on the table.

It was a calming sight and reminded the Elder how long he had been away, making sure that the boy didn't screw up again. Zachery's head raised and looked to the doors leading into the house, hearing something that the demon did not. He closed the book in front of him before the doors burst open, the demons of their house flowing into the room with anger written on their faces.

Haagenti saw the terror on his mate's face as they grabbed the blonde and forced him to his knees in a matter of seconds. He could smell the smoke as fire was set to the precious books that he had read while in the human world and recreated for Zachery when he returned to their home. The demon watched paralyzed as Leiko, Zachery's guard when he was away, raised her favorite katana and brought the sword down to sever the blonde's head from his shoulders.

Haagenti heard screaming, not realizing that it came from his own throat. Power welled up within him. Thousands of souls, with each and every one of their sins, rose from his form, intent on escape. There was no reason for him to hold them anymore. No reason to fight, no reason to try.

He felt the ground shake beneath him as the Elder let loose of his control.

*********************A Demon's Mate********************

Serena and Undertaker looked back as the doors slammed shut behind them. Tiles under their feet started to buck and break as the ground shook. The red head grabbed the reaper's arm to keep her balance as she stared in awe at the mirrors everywhere, the only surface free of them was the painted ceiling. Instead of their own reflections, however, one man stood in each mirror.

She could see what the reaper had been talking about. His resemblance to the Phantomhives she had seen, marked him the originator. There had been a piece of him in each of them. Ciel's blue-black hair and slender build, the vivid green eyes that many of his descendants carried, Vincent's cheek bones and height, Alex's jawline.

"How could you do this? They're your family." The red head started forward but Undertaker grabbed her arm and hauled her back behind him.

"That's right. They are mine. I started this family, raised it to power and privilege. Everything that each of them had or will have, everything that they were and are, it was all because of me. It still is." He raise his arms with a smirk. "They owe me everything. Their lives, their fortunes, their blood, even, their very souls."

Serena gasped as they appeared. Chained to the columns that she had once hidden behind while Ciel and Lizzy fought, were souls. Two were connected to each column by heavy collars around their necks, symbols carved in each.

"He's been using them like batteries." Undertaker kept a tight hold on the red head as he looked around the room, seeing many familiar faces from his years of acquaintance with the family. "Draining the power of their souls as time goes on to keep himself strong."

One face made Serena walk forward, her hand out to comfort or protect, she wasn't sure. Her voice was breathless barely a whisper as she called out to the other girl that had once been so full of life but now stood vacantly staring into space. Her blonde hair, always curled and bouncing with her excitement, now lay limp and flat around her blank face. Green eyes with their spark for life, every emotion could be read in them, now stared ahead blankly.

"Lizzy."

*****************A Demon's Mate******************

"Elder!"

Corrine watched as Haagenti continued to stare in front of him as if he hadn't heard her at all. The hand that was once raised to smash the glass now hung limply at his side and his face was completely blank. A scream lit the hallway as the walls around them shook and she grabbed his arm, trying to understand what was wrong.

"Elder, please!" She jerked as a piece of ceiling fell down beside her. "You have to pull yourself together."

Corrine looked at his face and saw that his eyes never left the mirror in front of him. She waved her hand in front of his face, but there was no response. It was as though he was no longer in the house, even though his body was still there. She felt the shaking taking over the house and raised her hand.

"Forgive me, Elder."

She swung her fist straight at his jaw, felt her bones give against the stronger body, but the other demon still didn't move. Corrine cradled her broken fingers to her chest, already feeling the bones knitting back together. Her other reached out to shake Haagenti again.

The demon followed her Elder's line of sight, seeing the mirror that hung on the wall, but there was no image in the glass.

"There is nothing there, Elder." She shouted at him. "We're not even in the mirror."

Corrine looked at the glass again. "We're not in the mirror."

She hurried to stand and threw her newly healed fist into the framed mirror. As the shattered pieces fell to the floor, Corrine heard the Elder gasp and felt the shake as his body slammed into the wall behind him. When she turned around, a demon that she had never seen leaned against the wall behind her. She refused to believe that this demon in front of her was the leader of her house. There was terror that she had never seen grace her Elder's face. His eyes were wide, taking in all of their surroundings as they darted back and forth, looking for any threat. His hands shook and his breath rattled in and out of his lungs.

"Elder?" Corrine reached out a hand but pulled back at the growl that came out of his throat.

"I'm fine." The voice was forceful, whether Haagenti was trying to convince her or himself, Corrine didn't know. He turned away, his breathing still harsh as he leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes on the vision that still played in his mind. "Just find that object. Now."

*****************A Demon's Mate******************

Serena ran forward but was pulled back by Undertaker. The heavy, crystal chandelier that matched the one that once hung in the main hall, hit the floor right where she was headed. The metal passed through the glowing, barely visible body and Lizzy didn't even blink. The red head screamed as she watched the chandelier pull back to the ceiling, ready to fall again at any moment.

"You son of a bitch! Let them go!" Serena tried to pull away from the reaper but he was too strong for her.

"Serena, stop."

"No." She tried to jerk away again. "You're already dead. Why are you keeping them here?"

The images of Jonathan laughed from every mirror in the room, his voice filling the room.

"You're right that I am dead. But not for much longer." He spread his hands again and the collars on each soul started to glow. They watched as the man's image started to become more solid as the souls became more wisp-like.

"Stop it!"

Jonathan smirked at her from every angle but lowered his hands. The souls pulled back into their original states, still staring straight ahead. They were utterly unresponsive to the goings on around them. Serena's eyes still watched Lizzy, looking for any sign of awareness from the blonde.

"You seem quite attached to that one. Fine." His smirk disappeared. "We'll make a deal. Doesn't that sound fitting for a demon's bitch?"

Undertaker jerked her arm, pulling Serena behind him when the red head would have charged forward.

"You bring back my new body, and I'll let you have all of them. That's a good deal, isn't it?"

"Your new body?"

It took a moment for her to understand. All of Alex's little quirks, the changes in personality, the adult's awareness in a child's body, all of it made sense in a bolt of understanding. She shook her head, apologizing to Lizzy and the others in her mind. "You'll never touch him again."

"What is it that you think that you can do? Do you think that you can keep him from this house? It's his ancestral home, his family is here, his life is here."

"I'll take him with me when I go home. Sebastian stopped you from getting Ciel's soul, he can keep Alex from you too."

"And what happens when his father dies? The crown will not make another exception when there is a son available to take over the title."

"I'll get rid of you before that happens, before Henry dies."

"Really? That embarrassment can die so easily, so quickly." The smirk came back. "Don't you know that most fatal accidents occur in the home?"

They watched his smirk turn to a sneer at the thought of Henry. "I'd be doing them a favor, really. That lowly steward's son has no business in a noble family, let alone taking over the title of Earl. It's disgraceful."

"He's a better man than you."

"It matters not what you say. In the end, Alexander will be returned here to rule his family, and my time will come again. You cannot save him from his fate any more than you could my other descendent. He still died young, on that ridiculous quest for vengeance." Jonathan looked at her. "Think of my offer. I can afford to let them go. The power of their souls are nothing compared to his. Alexander is the only one that I need."

"Little Alex is much like Ciel, isn't he?" Undertaker walked a few steps toward the columns. "I knew that something had gone wrong the night the Phantomhive manor burned. I didn't realize that it had gone wrong for you. It wasn't fate or any other force that wanted Ciel to die that night, it was you. You wanted him to die young, in this house, so that you could have his body and the power of his soul."

Jonathan didn't say anything, only looked more angry at the thought of the soul that got away from him.

"It must have thrown a large wrench in your plans that he survived." The reaper laughed. "Even more so, when he returned to the house with his demon. His demon that had prior claim on his soul and would protect his body at all costs. I wonder how angry that made you?"

"That stupid boy ruined everything." Jonathan snarled at the two. "Do you have any idea how deep into hiding I had to go while that demon was living here? How deep I had to hide my souls? And then I had to wait another hundred years before another of my descendants was a perfect match for me. That idiot couldn't just go quietly like he was supposed to."

"There is more anger in you than just having your plans postponed." Serena smirked as it clicked in her mind. "Why were you so into the occult in the first place? What were you trying to do?"

Silence took over the room and the girl laughed.

"No wonder you're so mad at him. Ciel succeeded, by force of will, where you failed after years of trying. You did this to your descendants, not because they belonged to you, but because they were better than you."

"Silence!" The glass sconces that had been built into the mirror walls shattered at Jonathan's temper, the sharp pieces flying at the two.

Undertaker threw the red head behind him, taking the glass shards himself. In the darkened room, now lit only by the moon streaming through the skylights, Serena's eyes ran around the room. She looked at the dozens of Jonathan's to the faces of Phantomhive and Carthrage that had been trapped in their own home since their deaths. She thought of Alex, smiling and happy one moment, quiet and angry the next. She looked at Lizzy again, so unrecognizable from the bright and happy girl that she had known, who had wanted nothing more than to be with Ciel, to be a part of this family. Look at what it had gotten her. She may not have been a Phantomhive in the end, but she was still Countess and helped to move the generations of the family Ciel was devoted to along into the future. As she looked around the columns, Serena shut her eyes when light bounced off the blade of the scythe Undertaker still held. She opened her eyes again as the idea came.

Her hand reached out, grabbing a hold of the scythe and pushing the iron bar at the reaper.

"Let me borrow this for a minute."

"Serena! What the hell are you doing?"

She ran out into the ballroom, staying close to the columns and the souls that were attached to them.

"Come on, drop that damn chandelier again."

He seemed to hear her wish and gave her exactly what she asked for. The metal dropped, crashing into the floor and breaking more of the once smooth marble into rubble. Serena grabbed the arm nearest to her and held on. As the crystal piece swung around the floor, she held on, careful to keep the blade of the reaper's scythe away from her body. The wild ride came close enough to one of the columns and the souls held captured by a phantom chain.

Swinging the scythe, Serena felt the giant blade slice through the chain and laughed in triumph. She looked back to see the two souls that were now free. Both were smiling as they ran for the ballroom doors, now free of the chains and collar that bound them to the first Earl. Jonathan screamed as the house shook again, this time from himself as Undertaker ran to the doors and broke them open.

Serena watched the two souls escape into the halls and smirked at the closet mirror. "No deal. I'll take them all myself."

The chandelier swung faster and Serena held on. Below her, Undertaker smashed through the mirrors that formed the walls of the ballroom while directing the souls that she freed. Even though the ballroom made Jonathan stronger because of the mirrors that concentrated the power that he had stolen over the centuries, this was a draw back for him as well. There was not much in the room that he could use as a weapon as the room was mostly empty.

There were no portraits to be flung at them, no ancient weapons that were on display. There were no tables and chairs to clutter the space, just as Ciel used to keep it for his daily fencing practice. The only thing he could use was the chandelier that Serena had turned into an asset for herself.

Or so she thought.

The columns had no purpose after the souls she freed were no longer attached and Jonathan was more than willing to use them. As the chandelier spun again, Serena curled in on herself as a column lifted out of the floor and swung on it's own toward her. Colors exploded behind her eyelids and a scream came out of her mouth as the heavy piece slammed into her body that was outside the metal arms of the lighting.

"Use the scythe!"

Serena looked down as her vision swum and her stomach jumped into her throat. The reaper was running below her and it took a moment to make the other two Undertakers that she saw fade into the original. She looked to the blade that she still held and higher reasoning came back in a rush, a massive migraine right on it's heels. The next swing of the metal she held onto brought around another pillar of marble headed straight for her. Rearranging her hold on the chandelier, Serena held the scythe straight out and cringed as she waited to feel the impact again, but nothing came.

As soon as the death scythe cut through the rock, pieces crashed down to the marble floor, no longer under Jonathan's control. The red head breathed a sigh of relief but had to force herself to concentrate on the next pillar coming at her. The more souls she freed the more weapons he had, but she couldn't stop. As the chandelier began to swing more rapidly and out of control, she realized that he was flying blind. Shards of broken glass mixed with the rubble that had once been a smooth floor, but there were no more mirrors for Jonathan to see the room through and no more souls for her free.

"Great, what do I do now?" Serena tried to concentrate as her eyes wanted nothing more than to close, her body wanting to stop.

The heavy scythe dropped from her hand and absently, she heard Undertaker yell as he jumped away from the deadly blade. Her body grew heavy, too heavy to hold up as the metal piece swung around the room.

"Serena! Don't you do it." Undertaker yelled up at her as she swayed limply with each pass.

She shook her head, trying to clear the fog that had crept in.

"Jump."

"Are you crazy?"

"I'll catch you."

"Is this a trust thing?"

"Just jump." Undertaker watched her body sway again with the movement of the chandelier and saw her slide out of the grip of the metal arms. Jumping quickly, he pulled the red head out of the air and landed safely on the ground again. "Or fall, that's good too. I guess."

The reaper hurried to get Serena under the cover of the small balcony that had once been supported by the columns that now were so much rubble on the floor. Laying her gently on the floor, Undertaker checked the bruises that were already forming along her skin and the side of her head that was swelling. Making sure that nothing was life threatening, he started trying to wake her. He did try to be gentle at first.

When that didn't work, a smack was heard around the room and a gasp from the red head waking up.

"Oh, good. You woke up." Undertaker giggled as he pulled her into a sitting position even though she wasn't ready.

Serena's head swam as she tried to look around and felt her stomach rise up again. She put a hand to her head, hoping to stop the spinning and closed her eyes to block out the colors.

"Hey. None of that. You don't have time to sleep right now." He poked her in the middle of her forehead. "Also, that's a rather impressive concussion that you have there. Might be a bad idea to sleep when you may not wake up again."

Serena tried to nod, but quickly nixed that idea. When she was sure that she wouldn't throw up on him, the red head held out a hand to Undertaker and waited for the help to get up. The reaper was quick to move when Serena lost the battle with her stomach as soon as her feet were under her.

"Why do I always get beat up around you guys and you all look like nothing happened?"

"Because you're a frail human still. Once you join our supernatural ranks, you can look like nothing happened too."

"I can't believe that I'm saying this but, sign me up."

The reaper laughed and forced her head up. Looking at her widened pupils and the green tinge that still covered her skin, he ran his fingers over the lump on her head again. "I'm worried that you may have cracked your skull."

"You make it sound like I did it on purpose."

"Well, you looked like you were having fun until that pillar came at you. Isn't that what human's say? 'It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.' Or in your case, cracks their head open." His thumb ran along the edge of the raised area. "You should have let me ride the chandelier and you could have smashed the mirrors while staying on the ground."

"And he may have heard me telling you about my plan."

"True." Undertaker pulled his hand away, still staring at her head. "I suppose since you are going to be mated to a demon, another brush with the unusual won't hurt you."

"What do you mean?"

Using a nail, Undertaker cut the swelled skin over her swollen temple.

"What are you doing?" Serena tried to jerk away, but he held her head until she stopped.

"Shh. This isn't something that I like doing."

She watched as he used the same nail to make a cut in his thumb. The blood that welled out of the reaper's slice was darker than the vivid red she had expected. She tried to get her eyes to focus on the burgundy liquid that was welling out of his finger but her mind wouldn't concentrate. His hand raised to her head and Serena started to flinch back.

Cooling relief flowed through her skull and made her sigh. The massive pounding and swirling colors inside her head slowed before coming to a stop completely. Opening her eyes, the room was back in focus and the pain was gone. Slowly, the nausea receded and she could take a deep breath without feeling like more was going to come out than air. She leaned into the cool hand and closed her eyes again as her body moved through weeks of healing in only a few moments. A whimper came out of her throat when the reaper pulled away.

"That's enough. You should be able to finish this night now. Your body can finish healing on it's own."

"You should bottle that and make a fortune." Serena sighed and ran her hand over the healed skin.

"Money isn't really that important. But more than that, I'd not like to think about what humans would do if they could heal in a moment."

"I guess." Serena closed her eyes for another moment but Undertaker saw the depression that flashed through her first.

"What is it?"

She shook her head. "I just...I really don't belong in this world either."

"You see now why humans should leave the supernatural, to the supernatural. It is also why demons keep their mates away from things like this. You'll be stronger after you're bound to your demon, but your body will still never be as strong or able to take as much damage as ours." Undertaker stepped away and picked up his scythe. "You're going to feel a little invincible for a couple days, but don't trust that feeling."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I hope that your demon stays away until your body processes that. Sharing blood is considered rather intimate, some think that it's more intimate than sex. I'd hate to see what he'd say about this."

Serena watched as he walked to the doors and waited for her.

"Well, that just gives me incentive to not look for him while he's finishing his contract." She started to walk forward and felt her knees go out from under her. Undertaker was next to her in a moment, sliding an arm around her back. "That is far from feeling invincible."

"Well, I've never shared blood with someone who was to mate a demon. Perhaps it won't have the same effect on you."

"I'm just lucky like that."

The reaper laughed as he helped her limp out of the wrecked ballroom. Outside the doors, the souls that had been trapped waited for them. Their uncertainty of what they were to do now was written on each of the semi-transparent faces. Serena felt a cool breeze across her cheek and turned to see Lizzy smiling to her side.

"Thank you, Serena."

The red head reached out but her hand passed through the Lizzy's arm. She watched with a sad smile as a man with light brown hair and smiling eyes came up behind the blonde. His hand, just as faded as her body, laid on the other girl's shoulder and Serena watched the smile that spread over Lizzy's face when she looked back at the soul of her husband. No matter how their marriage came about, Serena knew that the blonde had been happy in the end.

She looked over to Undertaker. "We need to get them out of the house, like we did with Alex."

"No." The reaper held up a hand to stop the mass leaving that had already started. "You cannot leave the house without a reaper to guide you. All of your awareness is tied to Jonathan and this house."

"But he can still suck on them if they are here."

"He doesn't have the same connection to them without the bindings. And if they leave without a reaper, they'll just drift away and be lost forever." He looked back at the souls. "You have to wait until we get rid of Jonathan, then I'll lead you from here."

"We certainly don't want to be lost after all this time." Serena recognized Vincent Phantomhive from the portrait Ciel had hidden in one of the less traveled hallways of the house as he stepped forward. His soul was one of the most solid. His wife at his side, was one of the most faded. "However, we do not want to become trapped here again."

"That will only happen if all of us die." Undertaker smiled at his old friend.

"That doesn't give much comfort." He waved his hand. "With all the other death that has happened in this house."

The reaper looked away. "Your confidence in me is astounding."

Serena looked between the two, sensing there was some kind of unspoken conversation going on between the two. She had a feeling that Vincent had been better friends with the reaper than any of the other Earls.

"Well," the red head started and felt like she was intruding. "I don't think that there is anything left that he can use in the Hall. They could wait there."

"That would probably be the best place for them." Undertaker nodded and looked to Vincent.

The former earl echoed the reaper's nod and clapped his hands to call everyone's attention. There were a couple of the souls, dressed in older period clothing that were mostly faded. They were constantly looking around, awareness slipping in and out of their eyes. Rachel was also one of these, looking at the hand holding her waist and then back at the owner before recognizing him.

Vincent led the others through the rubble that littered the ruined hallway. Serena watched from Undertaker's side as the souls moved through the rubble without a sound. Her mind kept trying to hear the sound of their footsteps, knew logically that the pieces of mirror and frame that lay on the floor should move each time someone stepped on one, however there wasn't a whisper of sound.

"That's just not right." Serena shook her head and tried to clear the disconcerting feeling while waiting for the last of the souls to disappear around the corner. "Why are some of them more faded than the others?"

"Something that you will learn as you delve further into this world is that some souls have more...strength, I guess you would say. The weaker souls fade the fastest."

"What happens when they fade completely?"

He looked at her, completely serious once more. "They're gone forever. The soul ceases to exist."


	41. Chapter 41

Author's Note: Tired. So tired.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty One

"We should find Haagenti. Hopefully, he's found the relic that Jonathan has attached himself to."

Serena, still floored by the information about the souls, merely nodded and followed behind the reaper.

In the hall, they passed the souls who were gathered together and watching the duo as they headed for the stairs. A tremor passed through the house and the red head looked back to the group as she grabbed onto Undertaker's robes. The souls had clustered tighter, their eyes darting around the open area for the source as the walls shook and the destruction that already littered the floor rattled and danced.

Serena felt the tremors harder as they went up the stairs. Undertaker grabbed her arm and yanked the red head up the last of the stairs. A rift appeared in the center of the staircase and swallowed several of the carpeted planks they had recently ran over. Not wasting any time, the reaper pulled her down the shaking hallway.

Destruction nipped at their heels in the form of falling beams from the ceiling and flying paintings. Serena hated the small scream that escaped every time that something fell near her and the way that her head ducked at each bang and screech of wooden wall frames. The door to the Earl's office was open and the two ducked inside as the door slammed shut behind them.

Silence. No walls rattled, no floors quaked. There was nothing in the small room to indicate that anything was going on outside of it. Haagenti was instantly on the offensive and Serena was glad that she was behind Undertaker when the demon struck out at them. The clang of the reaper's death scythe rang through the room and made Corrine jump from her place in front of one of the bookshelves.

Undertaker kept his weapon up as the room froze in the face of the deadly Elder.

"Jonathan got to you."

Serena peeked around to saw swirling red eyes glaring at the reaper.

Slowly, Haagenti straightened from attack that had been deflected. The red head watched as he pulled himself together, calmed himself down, and stepped away from them. Undertaker kept his scythe in front of him, but she saw his body relax a little.

"You have to remember that he works through illusion. There is no reality in what he shows you, in his power."

"Yes well," Haagenti took a moment to straighten his clothing. "You have yet to experience one of his little gifts."

The Elder waved Corrine back to her search. She ran her hands along the bookcase in the back of the room. Just across from the Earl's seat, it was the last along that wall. Corrine snarled as she pulled at the shelf closest to her.

"It's back here. I know it, I just can't see how to get to it."

"Sebastian brought a jewel box back in here. What you're feeling must be where the safe is." Serena peeked around Undertaker again.

The reaper didn't move, keeping her behind him as he watched Haagenti.

"Do you know how to get to it?"

"Not a clue."

"Figures." Corrine went back to studying the bookcase and missed the glares from everyone in the room.

"He's gotten to Corrine too, using her anger. I would suggest just ignoring her." Haagenti waved her back to the bookshelves.

The red head glared at her. "Don't worry, I will."

Corrine turned back to glare at Serena and started to come forward. Undertaker shifted to raise the scythe he still held at Corrine. The demon looked at the blade for a moment before taking a step back.

"Good choice." The reaper took a step back himself and lowered the weapon.

"Corrine, isn't there something that you're supposed to be doing?"

The demon still glared at Serena as she spoke to Haagenti. "Yes, Elder."

"Why is there nothing happening in here?" Serena tugged on the back of Undertaker's robes to bring his attention to her.

"There are no mirrors in here as well." He kept his eyes on the two demons as he answered.

"That's not all." Haagenti walked over to the empty fireplace and slid his hand along the inner edge. "I feel wards around this room. Placed by your mate. His seal is carved into the bricks inside here."

"This was Ciel's favorite room. He spent most of his time in here. It makes sense that Sebastian would put wards in here."

Corrine snorted and said something under her breath. A growl from her Elder made the demon quiet down.

"Malory also said the she would find Alex in here while his guard was gone."

"Jonathan couldn't touch him in here." Undertaker said.

Their attention was drawn back to Corrine as she snarled at the shelf again. "It's here. Not right here, but this is how you get to it. I have to go through here. But it's solid."

"There must be some trick to it." Haagenti walked to stand behind the other demon and stared at the shelf.

Serena gasped and grabbed Undertaker's arm. "Has there been any other Earl, after Ciel, that had the same violence follow him home?"

"No." The reaper laughed, catching her line of thought. "The last time that this house was rebuilt, it was done by your demon."

"Now, I know that there is some trick to it."

"Yes. Demons that make their homes in our area of Hell have a fondness for protecting treasure." Haagenti ran a hand along one of the shelves.

"But, Sebastian never had a problem spending money. He said that if I lost a diamond necklace that Ciel would just replace it. He wasn't worried about it at all."

"It's hard to explain. True, we are not going to kill for it, but we do like to have it. We like to be comfortable. Besides, he had no problem spending someone else's money." The Elder smirked. "Your mate has quite the hoard of his own that you will have access to."

"What for? From what I understand, I won't come back here. So, what's the point?"

"Just because you won't walk the Earth again, doesn't mean that you will have no occasion to wear something nice. Demons do interact with each other. Don't you think that he will want to show his mate off?"

"Like a trophy wife?" Serena sneered at the idea while making a mental note to let Sebastian know that she wasn't going to be okay with that.

"In a way. Having a mate is a matter of pride for demons. Especially Elders. There are many that do not. It's mostly because our mates are cherished and we like to give them the best of everything." He smirked at her.

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'Love don't cost a thing'?" Serena tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and turned back to the bookcase before anyone could notice the blush on her face. Looking at the books, she could tell that all of them were old. They were probably first editions bought by the Earls as they had been released and cared for as time went on. Several had marks on the spines where they had been pulled out and read while others looked like they had never been touched at all.

Her eyes read the titles and her mind realized that many looked familiar.

"Undertaker, when were all these titles released?"

The reaper came beside her and laid his chin on the top of her head as he looked over the shelf. Serena glared and wished that he could see her irritation.

"I would say that most of these were released in the eighteen hundreds. The others were already classics that noble families were expected to have on their shelves." He giggled and she felt his chin dig into her head.

"So, we know that Sebastian built this."

"And no one has figured out the secret." Undertaker cocked his head to the side with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Serena pulled away to look at the grinning reaper.

"When the little Earl died, there was an inquiry into his finances. His will didn't list all the assets that he should have had and no one could find the missing money. The Midfords tried the hardest to find it, even brought the servants back into the house before it was given over to the Carthrages. No one ever found it though. Many just thought that he had spent more than anticipated or didn't make as much as they thought. Wondered if maybe his books had been tampered with."

"How much are we talking that's missing?"

Undertaker shrugged. "About half. There were records of art and jewelry that the little Earl had bought that were never found."

"Wow, that has to be a lot of money." She looked to Haagenti. "Would Sebastian have taken anything with him when he left?"

The Elder shook his head. "We cannot take anything through the gate with us. Whatever was here, is still here."

"Then how do you have a hoard?"

"Earth isn't the only place with jewels. Besides, we can recreate things that we have seen while walking this plane."

Serena blinked but glared when Undertaker's head landed back on hers.

"Haagenti," the reaper's chin dug into her scalp again. "You have spent the most amount of time with Mr. Butler. What do you make of this?"

The Elder looked at the shelf, analyzing everything on it. His fingers touched a couple of the books before letting go without doing anything. The rest of them looked for some clue, something out of the ordinary. Serena cocked her head to the side, checking her idea.

"It can't be that simple."

"What?" Haagenti stooped down at her side to see what the red head saw.

"These books." She pointed to one, then another, then another. "They all have a sin in the title."

The reaper smiled. "They're in a pattern."

Serena pushed Undertaker back and went to stand next to the chair Ciel used to sit in. Her eyes took in the whole picture.

"I've seen this pattern, I just don't know where."

"It's the seal that was in the little Earl's eye." The reaper laughed as he stared at the shelf.

"That's it!" She snapped her fingers. "It's a little different than what's shown in the anime and manga. I only saw it once, so I didn't recognize it at first."

Serena came back and pulled one of the books that had a sin in the title. It moved about an inch, but wouldn't come off the shelf. Letting go, she pulled a different book that wasn't part of the pattern that they had seen. It came off the shelf easily and she looked at the others before sliding it back into it's place.

"They are all part of the whole, but I wonder if you have to pull them all in a specific pattern. Maybe that's what no one has figured out yet, there could be thousands of combinations." Haagenti rubbed his chin, never taking his eyes off the books.

"I believe you're right." Corrine waved them out of the way and started pulling books. After the first book, the others slid back into the shelf on their own when her fingers left the spine. She pulled the last in the pattern, after looking back at her Elder, and they all waited.

Nothing happened.

"Perhaps, they have to be pulled in a certain amount of time. Corrine, pull them at our speed."

"I don't think so." Serena put up a hand to stop them. "Ciel would not have let Sebastian keep something from him. He wasn't concerned about money either, but he wouldn't have something that belonged to him where he couldn't get to it. The safe has to be able to be opened by a human."

As they watched, the first book slid back into it's place on the shelf.

"Looks like times up." Undertaker giggled.

"Is the pattern wrong?" Haagenti looked at Corrine.

"I saw the Elder put his symbol on something a long time ago. I pulled the books in the same way that he drew it."

Serena raised her hand to cut into their conversation. "Pull the books again."

"What?"

"Pull the books again."

"Fine." Corrine went through the pattern again, pulling each book as she had before. When she got to the last, the red head came up beside her and put her hand on another book.

"Why would Ciel, who hated the church, and a demon have a copy of The Lord's Sonnets on the bookshelf?" Serena pulled the book and they all heard something slide behind the shelf.

Sliding a hand along the wood edging the shelf, Haagenti found a niche in the wood. It was only large enough to put the tips of his fingers in, but it was enough for him to pull the shelf away from the wall to reveal an opening large enough to fit a single person through. They could see a path made of stone that was completely dark. Serena charged forward but found a hand on each shoulder. She looked up to see Undertaker and Haagenti.

"Maybe you should let one of us go first. Your mate may have more surprises waiting along the way."

"Alright, but I don't think there will be."

The Elder smirked down at her. "We like to protect treasure remember."

"But a booby trap would have put Ciel in danger if he went in here without Sebastian."

"That is a good point." Haagenti still went forward and Undertaker pushed her between the two of them. "But can you see in the dark?"

"No." She pouted as her hand grabbed a hold of his shirt.

******************A Demon's Mate*********************

The little group moved through the small hallway that was only wide enough for them to move in a single file line. After a small set of stairs just beyond the bookcase, there was only a hall. Serena kept her hand fisted in Haagenti's shirt as he walked in front of her. There was no light at all and she had finally closed her eyes and let the demon lead. She could hear Undertaker walking behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder. She knew that Corrine was bringing up the rear, but she couldn't hear the demon, not even her stiletto heels on the stone they walked down. It made her a little nervous not knowing where the other demon was, in the dark. She felt Haagenti turn to look at her and realized that she moved closer, almost lining their bodies together.

"Sorry." Serena moved away and bumped into Undertaker. "Sorry."

"It bothers you to not be able to see." The reaper steadied her on her feet and came closer.

"One good thing about a small hallway is that there is no way for anyone to come at you from the sides." Haagenti started walking again, feeling the tug of Serena's hand still in the back of his shirt.

"I suppose." She reached back and felt Undertaker take her hand. Closing her eyes again, she followed behind.

She lost track of time as they moved, always forward. As her feet scuffed the ground, Serena realized that they were moving down at an angle. She could smell something like the wine celler, earth just beyond the stones that surrounded them. Haagenti stopped and Serena almost ran into him.

"We're here."

Serena tried to peek around the Elder but she still couldn't see in the pitch darkness. Haagenti waved a hand and light flooded the hall. The red head felt a burn at the sudden light and shut her eyes again. When she was ready, she looked again and saw that Haagenti had lit torches that were set up at the end of the hall. A set of rod iron gates were in front of their group, in their center was the Phantomhive coat of arms. Beyond them, Serena could see the light reflecting off something shiny on the other side. The Elder pushed against the gates but they didn't move.

"End of the line. How do we open them?"

"What if it has something to do with the seal again?" Undertaker leaned around to look at the gates. "It does have to do with the seal. Just not the demon's."

"What do you mean?"

The reaper went to the gate and looked at the coat of arms again.

"This isn't correct. If you don't look closely, you don't see it." He laid a finger on the vulture's wing and a piece of the iron moved. "The wings are down and the motto is wrong as well. If you just take a passing glace, you won't see it, but it's the Phantomhive coat of arms. After the little Earl died, everything Phantomhive was buried. No one would know this if they had found it."

The reaper moved the pieces around and another clicking sound was heard. He pushed lightly on the gates and they squeaked open. The rest of the group surged forward, eager to get a look at the treasures that had been hidden away for a hundred years. Haagenti snapped his fingers and the gas lights that had never been upgraded came to life.

Serena stared wide-eyed at the room in front of her. Jewels spilled from hand carved, wooden boxes that were inlaid with precious metals. She pulled a sheet that was hanging over the nearest object and was surprised to see a perfectly executed landscape that was bound in a beautiful frame. Another sheet revealed a hand-carved chair. Set into the wood were jewels that winked in the light from the nearest gas-lamp.

"This a rather impressive hoard for someone so young." Haagenti looked at the treasures while scratching his chin.

Corrine went past them all and held her hand over the jewel boxes that were sitting on an intricately carved, antique table. Her eyes were closed as she waited for some kind of sign. They watched as her eyes popped back open. She grabbed the box that her hand had been hovering over and dumped the contents onto the floor at their feet.

Serena knelt down and picked up a familiar diamond necklace. Her fingers ran over the glittering piece and a smile came over her face.

"I seem to remember seeing that before." Undertaker knelt next to her.

"I wore it to the theater with Ciel and Prince Soma."

"No. I saw it before that."

"He said that it had belonged to his mother."

"That's it. Vincent had given it to Rachel as a wedding gift." The reaper looked a little sad for a moment and took the necklace from her to put it back with the rest. "They belong to the family now."

His fingers picked up another piece that was tangled in with the rest. It's long, golden chain held diamonds along every half inch and Undertaker looked at it carefully before sliding it into his pocket.

"We'll use this to attach the souls in the hall to."

"I got it." Corrine held up a single yellow jewel hanging on a long chain, her face bright with triumph.

All around them the house shuddered.

"Time to go." Undertaker pulled Serena to her feet. "He knows what we've been up too since the moment you touched that."

"We have to get that out of the house as soon as possible." Haagenti took up his place leading the group again as the gate shut behind them and the lights were extinguished.

The trip was quicker this time that they knew where they were going and knew that there was no traps along the way. Undertaker was behind her again, pushing her to go faster, her hand still holding Haagenti's shirt to find her way in the dark.

The light from the study greeted them as they approached the end of the passage. Haagenti went first and ducked back into the passage, shoving Serena back into Undertaker.

"He's found a way into the study."

They heard something hit the bookcase with enough force to shove the wood back and cut off some of the light coming into the passage. The stone walls around them shook once more then everything stopped.

"He's waiting for us, waiting for us to come out."

"He has us blocked. Jonathan is done with just trying to scare us away. He'll try to do real damage now." Haagenti tried to look out again but something else hit the front of the bookcase.

"Jonathan has decided to use what power he has amassed to stop us from taking his relic out of the house." Undertaker looked at the back of the shelf with an unusual scowl on his face. "Haagenti, you take the jewel. It will be easier for you to get through the house by yourself. We'll stay here and watch Serena. There isn't much that can be considered deadly here."

The passage shook again and one of the stones from the ceiling fell behind them. Serena jumped and attached herself to Undertaker.

"I think that we're leaving the passage."

"Stay behind me." The reaper pulled her to the side of the passage and, after a little maneuvering, got in front of her.

Of course, that left Serena with Corrine behind her. The red head had transferred her grip to the back of Undertaker's robes and tried to ignore the small amount of panic she felt at having a demon that had already thought of taking a shot at her a couple times tonight at her back. Now, there was no barrier between them.

 _'Note to self, don't say anything with the angry demon behind you that may be considered, in anyone's definition, offensive.'_

Undertaker gave a nod to Haagenti after he took the necklace from Corrine and the Elder burst through the small opening. Behind them, the passage shuddered and Undertaker followed Haagenti out with Corrine pushing Serena.

As soon as they were in the room, the assault began again. Beams that formed the ceiling fell through the plaster and blocked the path to the door. They watched as the Elder had to stop every step or two to clear the obstacles from his way across the small room. It was obvious that his mind still wasn't on the task at hand. His movements were slower than they could be, not as fluid as they should be and they could see the trouble it took for him to focus on the attacks coming at him.

Serena heard the glass from the window behind them break as Undertaker took the brunt of the flying objects in front of her. Corrine flew past to help her Elder escape the room. All the furniture in the room had been pulled to block the doorway. As soon as the demons pulled the pieces away from the door, the furniture flew at the reaper instead. Undertaker pulled his scythe out again, using the blade to cut through the heavy wood.

She cried out as something sliced through her arm. Looking behind her, Serena saw the pieces of the broken window, jagged and sharp, rising in the air. They heard a yell and saw Haagenti and Corrine finally break through to the door.

"Help him get out of the house." The reaper directed Corrine and felt Serena yank on the back of his robes. Looking behind, he saw the glass and cursed.

Folding his scythe back up, the reaper pulled Serena around as the glass flew toward them. The red head watched the pieces imbed themselves in Undertaker's body with a wince. She cried out again as one of the heavier books pelted her in the back. The reaper turned them again but saw more glass rising out of the corner of his eye.

"Damn it! Come here." Undertaker pulled Serena against his chest and flipped the robes off his shoulders.

Serena watched as great wings rose from the reaper's back. Instead of black or white, the feathers were a silvery gray as they came around her and stopped the assault of the various objects hitting her body. Undertaker pushed her to kneel on the ground, keeping her in the cover of his body and wings. She watched as the feathers at the bottom of his wings stiffened and with a jerk, they planted themselves in the plush carpet.

In the eye of the storm surrounding them, Serena's fingers touched the silver feathers before she knew that she had reached forward. She frowned as she touched the silky feathers and they moved slightly to show that they were not silver, but soft white with black feathers underneath. As the storm raged outside of their protection, Serena felt strangely peaceful as they waited.

"Do all reapers have wings?" She looked up, her fingers still stroking the soft feathers.

"No," he answered simply.

Her next question was already on her tongue as everything stopped around them. Everything that been flying around the room dropped to the floor, each with a thud of it's own. They heard the heavy furniture hit the ground and felt the shake through the floor as Undertaker raised his head out of the cover of his wings.

"Haagenti must have gotten out of the house."

With another jerk, the feathers pulled out of the floor and his wings opened from around them. Undertaker helped her to her feet as his wings folded back and he picked his robes up from the floor.

"Why do you have wings?" Serena watched him, feeling a little suspicious.

"Now is not a good time to get into it." He pulled the chain that he had taken from the vault out of his pocket. "We should see how many souls are left after that last attack."

"They had better all be there." The red head scowled as she marched to the doorway, the door long gone.

Outside, the damage was impressive and Undertaker insisted on going first. He led her through the halls of broken beams hanging from the ceiling and over ripped up carpet and floor boards littered with debris. The house looked like a tornado had ripped through it and left the structure minutes from falling in around them. There was nothing untouched. When they got to where the main staircase should have been, a voice came from the new hole between the floors. A pale hand rose from the darkness and waved at them.

"I appear to be stuck." Lucien laughed, a little embarrassed.

Undertaker giggled as he looked down into the cavern and jumped. Serena heard a groaning of wood and screech of metal as she looked into the darkness. She jumped back letting out a little scream as the blonde demon burst up in front of her and landed on the floor with a smile.

"Do you have to scare the crap out of me?"

"You make it so easy." He teased her but the smile fell quickly.

Lucien came closer, looking at her intently. There was a betrayed look in his eyes that made her fidget a little and look away. As Undertaker landed beside them, Lucien turned on the reaper with a snarl.

"Let it go, demon. She didn't drink it and it was necessary." He growled and moved to Serena.

Lucien stepped in front of his Elder's mate and growled.

"I'll help her down." His hand slid under the red head's knees and the other behind her back. In a moment, he lifted the girl and jumped over the hole that that had once been the grand staircase. As they hit the first floor, Lucien let her go quickly. She felt the reprimand in the way that he turned away quickly and realized that she was missing something important.

"What is going on here?"

Lucien sent her a glare, so out of place but not taking away from his beautiful features.

"Reapers share blood as part of their wedding ceremonies. And you took blood from him."

Serena blinked at both of them.

"I told you that it was necessary. Her skull was cracked. Would you rather I let your Elder's mate die, on the floor of the ballroom this time?"

"I would rather that you have protected her, and there would never have been a need for you to give her your blood in the first place."

"Maybe you should have stayed with her."

"It will be the last time that I trust you with her."

Serena let out a whistle and drew their attention back to her.

"How about we argue about this later? You know, when the crisis is completely over." She looked at Lucien specifically. "Undertaker gave me his blood in an emergency, not a romantic sense and I will take the blame for it from Sebastian."

"If the Elder ever comes for you at all with that reaper's blood running through your body." The sneer in his voice left her to believe that he wouldn't in the same situation.

The red head glared at him as he turned away from her before she looked to the souls that had gathered around them after they landed on the first floor. Undertaker held out the necklace he carried and looked to the souls.

"We're going to use the somewhat of the same premise that Jonathan did. You'll feel a pull when you touch one of the jewels. Don't fight it. This is the easiest way to transport multiple souls and make sure that no one gets lost. One soul per jewel."

"Why don't you just use your death scythe?" Serena asked as Lizzy came up next to her.

"It's a little different with disembodied souls. The scythe is meant to sever the soul's connection to it's physical form. When that connection is already severed, you need something else to transport the soul." He waved the souls to gather around him.

"I'm not sure that will be needed."

They looked up at hearing Haagenti right outside the hole in the wall where the front doors used to be. Serena went to the frame and looked out. She suddenly jumped back and ran behind Undertaker.

The man from Hyde Park smiled from the bottom of the front stairs.

"I see that you found your way back here."

She peeked out from behind Undertaker. "I did."

He nodded to the souls behind the two. "I'll take them."

Serena looked behind her to the souls that had gathered close to look outside. Each looked to her, unsure to make a decision on their own. Fear of leaving their home and prison after so long, only to go into the unknown without guidance stopped them from moving forward.

"But," she looked behind her again. "Undertaker said that they would drift away if they just left the house."

"Light is always there to those who accept it." He smiled at her and held out a hand.

Serena felt a light breeze at her side and saw a hand on her shoulder. Vincent gave her a small smile as he slipped past the trio, pulling Rachel's confused soul behind him. She watched their bodies disappear, just fade away, as they stepped over the threshold. Two, small balls of light bobbed their way across the sky and settled into the outstretched hand. The red head started forward when the first soul sank into His palm and vanished.

"It's alright." Undertaker grabbed her arm. "He'll hold them until they reach their destination."

One by one, each soul made their way past the three at the door. Each made the decision to leave behind their awareness of self, awareness of who they were, in favor of the light and another chance. Finally, only two were left.

Serena smiled at Lizzy over her shoulder, Arthur at the blonde's side. She took a breath and felt a heaviness in her chest.

"I guess this is goodbye. Again."

The blonde nodded. "I understand now, what it was between Ciel and Sebastian."

Serena winced.

"It's okay. I don't blame him. After all this," The soul waved her hand to encompass the destruction around them. "I understand what true evil is. Sebastian may be a demon, but he had more honor than the human that trapped us here. He raised Ciel to be a good man when he could have taught him to be a much different person."

The red head looked at her strangely and Lizzy smiled.

"I became a lot better at reading people as I got older. As much as you want to be with him, you're still unsure if you could fully love a being that kills and devours people's souls. But you know that that was exactly what Ciel wanted. And, I think that we've seen here that humans can be a lot more evil than demons. At least the souls that he contracts with know what they are getting into and call for him." She looked around the destroyed house. "None of us never asked for this, but that didn't matter to Jonathan. All that mattered was what he wanted."

"Evil isn't a matter of what you are, but who you are." Arthur smiled and looked out the door.

Following his line of vision, Serena saw the dark figure of the demon that guarded the family, Alex still asleep in his arms.

"It was what Ciel wanted, even if that's not what he got in the end." Lizzy gave the red head a wave and a watery smile before stepping out of the house.

Serena felt the tears falling down her face as she watched the blonde disappear, Arthur right behind her. She felt a much heavier weight on her shoulder and looked at Undertaker.

"It's only fair, she mourned you."

She nodded and looked up again. The man was gone and Haagenti was staring at her, his grip on the necklace tight. She saw his eyes lingering on Undertaker's hand.

"Lucien, go get Edwin and the Carthage's. Alex should be returned to his family. This house is far too dangerous for a child to wander in." The Elder turned back in time to see the guard bow to him and disappear into the night.

"But..." The blonde looked at Serena and Undertaker.

"Lucien!"

He bowed his head and took off without looking back. Haagenti looked at Serena, his expression blank.

"I didn't notice it earlier, with Jonathan clouding my mind. I would suggest that you decide on what you want for your future and stick with that decision." With that, the Elder vanished into the darkness and left Serena feeling a whole new wave of guilt.

Undertaker pulled her away from the doorway and into a section of the expansive hall that seemed the most sturdy. Corrine watched them, her contempt disguised behind a blank face now that Jonathan's hold on her emotions was gone.

"They really want me to feel like shit over this, don't they?" She whispered as she brushed another tear off her cheek.

"Demons have a code close to the old samurai. The 'death before dishonor' kind of thing." Undertaker smiled. "Taking my blood is a big deal to them."

Serena nodded. "So, what do we do now?"

He directed her to a corner of the hall that was the least destroyed and let her lean agains the wall.

"Since I never noticed that Jonathan was still here and holding souls in this house, I called someone who will be able to see through any lie." Undertaker smirked. "Just to be sure."

Corrine scoffed from her place across the hall and Serena glared.

"What is your problem now?"

"It's ridiculous. An Elder's mate should be leading, not following someone else."

"Well, considering that I have no clue how to handle this or that it was even possible, I think it would be a good idea to follow Undertaker. Would you rather I take charge and royally screw this up?"

The demon rolled her eyes and Serena started forward. "Your actions are none of my concern."

"Except to criticize. You've hated my guts since the minute that you stepped through the door tonight and I want to know why. When the hell did I ever do anything to you?"

Behind her, Undertaker laughed with a burst.

"I was pushed out my house because of you. Excuse me if I am less than accommodating to you."

"Because of me? What does that have to do with me?"

"I should think that was obvious." Undertaker giggled from her shoulder.

"What?" Serena looked over. "I don't see what being pushed out has anything to do with me unless she was Sebastian's..."

"I was the Elder's lover when he was home. I was told to leave because he didn't want us to meet." She scoffed. "And now, his little mate needed my help."

"It is rather ironic." Undertaker commented from his place behind her. "The one demon that could track treasure that you needed was the same one that he pushed away because he didn't want you to meet."

"Are you still..." Serena waved her hand around and felt a blush come up her throat. "Doing that with Sebastian?"

"Did you not hear? I was thrown away. I haven't so much as seen the Elder since then."

"Do you still want to?"

Corrine blinked at the human in front of her and cocked her head to the side. "I admit that it was a pleasant diversion, the Elder is quite skilled. However, I had no illusion that our arrangement would continue should he find his mate. There was no need to force me to leave."

"You're taking this awful calmly." He turned his head on her shoulder to see Serena's face.

"You all are acting like I thought he was a virgin before we met. Highly doubtful. I'm sure he's had plenty of...friends. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be surprised if he had had something going on with Ciel." She shot Corrine a glare. "As long as you're not still seeing him, and don't want to try, I see no reason to be upset."

"Just intimidated, right?" Undertaker giggled and jumped back from the elbow he felt coming at him.

"Shut up!"

Corrine continued to stare as the two argued, her eyes following them back and forth. She saw the red flush on Serena's face, once embarrassment that was now anger. She had never seen an Elder's mate act so simply, let alone play with a reaper.

Serena finally gave up trying to catch the laughing reaper as he danced around the wreckage that littered the floor. Undertaker smirked, still staying out of reach as she fumed. He laughed more at the irritated huff as she tossed her hair behind her and turned her back on him.

"I thought that you said that you had called someone to check the house." Serena crossed her arms over her chest, still looking away from him.

"I did. He should be here shortly." The reaper looked uncomfortable. "There's no way any soul will escape his notice."

"Why does that worry me?" Serena turned and tried to peek at his eyes but his hair had fallen back down to cover them. A smile found it's way back to his face at the little game.

Suddenly, he turned to the door frame and put up a hand to stop Serena. Corrine gasped and looked as well. The brunette sank to her knees, not taking her eyes away from the open space. Serena looked confused at both of them for the stillness. She didn't see anything coming.

"What is it?" The red head poked Undertaker's arm but the reaper didn't notice.

"Lord Lucifer." Corrine whispered and bowed her head.

A man stepped through the space where the doors had once been. Silver hair cascaded down his back and framed a face that could have been sculpted by a master of beauty. Skin as pale and smooth as marble held eyes the color of golden peach, making her think of the soft light of the early dawn. As he strode toward them, Serena finally noticed how tall he was. Easily taller than Sebastian and Haagenti, long legs ate up the floor as he came closer. Power clung to his skin, emphasized by the impeccable suit that draped his lithe frame.

A hand came over her eyes and Serena let out the breath that she hadn't realized that she had been holding. She reached up to hold Undertaker's wrist and took a few more breaths to calm herself.

Undertaker's voice was strangely void, no emotion coming through it at all. "You may want to dim yourself a bit, Father."


	42. Chapter 42

Author's Note: I am thankful…for all of you. The two trips through this fic have given me courage to write my own stuff, the belief that I can come up with something that other people think is interesting and a concrete direction on the career that I want. No matter how hard it is to get off the ground, it's worth it to do what I really love doing. All of that came from this fic and from the messages I've received from all of you or just the traffic graph showing how many have stopped by. Whether it's a mistake that I missed or just saying that the idea is interesting, even the couple of forums that reported me the first time around. (I'm operating under the assumption that they wouldn't have even noticed mine if it had been for the readership count that time. Although, I'm pretty sure that I know who one of them was and they were with me from the beginning.) I love you all and I say thank you so very much.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty Two

Serena tore the hand away from her face and turned to stare at Undertaker. The reaper was careful not to meet her eyes as he stared at his father. Corrine was still on her knees, looking wide-eyed between the two men.

Serena poked Undertaker to make him look at her.

"Hello. That's not a bombshell that you drop on someone and then act like nothing happened."

"Forgive my son. Aelius has never really liked to tell people about me." Lucifer stepped forward with an easy smile and held his arms out.

She saw the irritation the came over Undertaker before he met his father and allowed the man to pull him into a hug. Serena saw their hair mix, strands the same color and shade of silvery white, before they pulled apart. Standing so close, she could see resemblance better. The same high cheekbones, the same jawline. Undertaker didn't look at his father again as he turned and came back to Serena. She saw something pass over Lucifer's face as his son turned away without a second glance, but it was buried to quickly to be identified.

"Aelius?" She asked.

The reaper glared at her. "It means sun."

"I figured you for a moon person." Serena didn't notice the surprise on Undertaker's face at the comparison and leaned closer to whisper as Lucifer walked over to wave Corrine to her feet. "You know, when I asked about what to do now and you said that you had someone coming to look at the house?"

"Yes."

"This might have been something to mention. You know, just drop it into the conversation. Like, 'Oh, by the way, the person that I have coming is my father and he's the devil.'"

"And what would you have said if I had told you?"

The red head looked away for a moment. "I would've asked if you were crazy."

He gave her a look that was all 'I told you so.'

"I apologize that Elder Haagenti is not here to greet you, my lord." Corrine was on her feet again, but her head was still bowed.

"That's not a problem. This isn't a visit. I only came because my son asked for my help." Lucifer smiled at Undertaker and Serena shuddered a little.

"I'm guessing that you are going to owe him for this?"

"That's right." Lucifer answered for him.

"And in return, I'm going to owe you big."

"Now you're getting it." Undertaker smiled and the resemblance between father and son made Serena shiver.

"That's just not right." Serena turned on Lucifer. "Son's shouldn't owe their fathers. They need help, therefore, you show up. And while we're on the subject, I'm assuming by the one chair in his kitchen that you never visit."

"You went through my house?" Undertaker wondered why he hadn't thought of that before.

"We're not talking about that right now." She held up a hand in his face. "We're talking about your messed up father/son dynamic."

"We don't get along." Undertaker shrugged. "End of dynamic."

"What does liking your family have to do with anything? I genuinely don't care for a large portion of my family and the feeling is mutual. The others don't even care that I exist. But, I still see them at least once a year and if they needed anything I'd be there. It's about blood."

Lucifer smiled as Serena ranted, his focus on her temple. "Speaking of blood."

The red head stopped talking when his fingers brushed her skin. He leaned closer and she heard a soft inhale next to the healed wound. She started to breathe again when sunrise eyes focused on Undertaker over her head.

"Should I congratulate you, my son? There is also a scent of Elder than clings to her, however, you've given her blood that has already traveled through her body." His head cocked to the side. "Are you two fighting over her?"

"No. Serena had suffered head trauma and was going to die. Again."

"Again?"

"It's a long story." She popped between them and noticed the scowl on Lucifer's face.

"I don't like to left out of the loop." A slow smirk spread over his face again. "But still, sharing your blood is sharing mine."

Serena's head turned to Undertaker slowly, her eyes wide.

"Do you want her, my son?"

"Whoa!" She pushed away from both of them. "How about you both stop talking about me like some left over pizza?"

"She's rather amusing." The fallen smiled as she continued to glare at them.

"And already taken."

Lucifer smiled down at her. "Possession is always stronger than prior claim."

"What the hell is wrong with you all?" Serena screamed and started to pace around the room. "First I get dragged back in time and told by a demon that I'm going to marry him and be dragged to hell and just forget any plans that I had for my life because they don't matter anymore! Then I get shot and die, which was awful by the way, if you're wondering. All so that I could be some kind of cosmic warning for Sebastian. Wake up back in Tokyo and get sent on some sicko scavenger hunt because I guess that I came back too early for some people and he just had something more important to do then be around when I woke up. Then come back here, figuring that I'd spend a little quiet time. You know, try to be the good, little mate that everyone wants me to be. And what happens? I almost get killed again! Now Lucien and Haagenti are pissed at me. Corrine's being a bitch, well she's been a bitch since the moment I met her, and you two are trying to pass me around like a cheap piece of meat. I'm sick to death of all your supernatural bullshit!"

She turned and pointed at them. "You know, if it wasn't for Alex and his family, I would just say 'screw you guys, I'm going home.' But, of course, I can't do that."

Undertaker and Lucifer watched as she continued to stalk around the ruined room, ranting and pointing every so often as she went. She screamed again and everyone jumped a little. Serena huffed on the other side of the room for a minute before turning back to the two men.

"Back to the subject." She stomped back across the room. "You are not visiting your own son, and don't say that you don't get along. That's a weak excuse."

"I am rather busy." Lucifer brushed some non-existent piece of lint from his sleeve.

"Rather busy? Your son spends all of his time alone or with corpses and that's okay, because, you're rather busy." Serena put a hand on her hip. "Seriously? Even God took a day off."

Undertaker laid his forehead on her shoulder and tried to stop laughing at the look on his father's face.

"Perhaps," Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "I would be more inclined to visit, if I did not receive such a chilly reception when I did."

"I see. So, you're going to turn this around on me?" Undertaker's laughter died in an instant.

"If you would just let it go."

"Never," Undertaker hissed.

Lucifer threw his hands up. "There was nothing that I could do."

Undertaker moved from behind Serena and stood in front of his father, rage radiating from his body.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"I honestly think that after so much time as a reaper, you would have figured that out by now." Lucifer leaned down.

"And the fact that Regina just happened to show up around the same time was what, a coincidence?"

"Yes!"

"Bullshit!"

Serena saw Corrine making her way around the outer edge of the room toward her, making sure to steer clear of the mess in the middle of the room. When she finally reached the red head, Corrine leaned down to whisper so she, hopefully, would not draw their attention.

"What are they talking about?"

"I'm guessing with how upset they are getting," Serena leaned over. "It's got something to do with Mommy."

"You let her die, just admit it. Regina had shown up and you didn't need her anymore." Undertaker had taken to yelling.

"Regina?" Serena kept her eyes on the two while leaned over to Corrine.

"Lord Lucifer's mate."

"Right." The red head went back to watching the two men.

"I never needed her!" The whole room shook as Lucifer yelled back at his son and the shout echoed through the building. Serena and Corrine jumped back.

"Before Orias informed me that he had seen another of my children about to be born, I didn't even remember Asta. It's awful, yes I know that. But, I had already moved on and forgotten about her. I came back because of you." Lucifer looked away and took a breath. "Asta was weak, as many of the humans were then."

Undertaker started to say something but was cut off by his father. "Shut up. You want to hear an explanation so badly, then listen."

"She should never have survived the birth, she should never have survived the epidemic that swept through the village the next spring. She should never have survived the winters after you were born. I kept her alive as long as I could by giving her my blood, diluted through the nephilum. I took the blood of my other children to keep Asta alive a little longer, not because I needed her, but because you did.

"You were the only one of my children that wasn't born a monster, that I didn't have to lock in a cage the moment you were born and watch over for the rest of your life because I made a mistake. And you needed a mother."

Lucifer looked away for a moment and turned back. "You're right. I let her die. Because if I had given her any more blood, she would have lost what was left of her humanity and become a monster, herself. She would have been destroyed or caged with the nephilum that I fed her from. I accepted it when you turned away from me and joined the reapers because I had hoped that someday you would understand why I let her go. It had nothing to do with Regina. I never loved Asta, nor did I ever give her the impression that I did. I loved my son, and you loved her. So, I kept her alive for far longer than I should have. In the end, she was mortal and mortals die."

He sighed. "I thought that was why you called me, finally. I thought that you finally understood that. I gave you knowledge of demons and the fallen, more than I ever should have, so you would understand when your mother died. She wasn't my mate and I couldn't tie her life to mine. I tried to find a way after you were born and you weren't like the rest of my children. Even when Regina appeared, I would have done it. To make you happy."

Undertaker stood still, never having heard his father speak as plainly. Lucifer normally spoke in riddles, guiding his son to the answer but still making the younger work for it.

"That was my punishment. I finally had a child that wasn't a monster, but he'd always see me as one."

Serena and Corrine stood to the side, still blinking at the two. Neither made a move. They knew that this was private, that they shouldn't have heard all of that, but there was nowhere else to go. The house was a war zone that was barely standing. So, the women stayed quiet and hoped the two men in the center of the room would remember that they had a captive audience and wouldn't be angry when they realized that their conversation had been witnessed.

Lucifer stepped away first, shaking his head.

"Why am I here?" The Fallen gathered himself again, straightening his suit and pushing his hair back into place, as he stepped around his son to view the house.

Undertaker was quiet for a moment. His voice quiet when he finally did speak and void of emotion.

"To make sure there are no more souls tethered to this house. I've been here multiple times over centuries and never realized that Jonathan, the first Earl of Phantomhive, had sealed his soul here and trapped several of his descendants to use as batteries for himself."

Lucifer snorted. "I still wait to see the day when mortals will leave the realm of souls to angels and demons and stay the hell out of it."

Without another word, the Fallen jumped the hole to the second floor and disappeared into the house. Serena looked at Corrine again before walking through the wreckage to Undertaker. The reaper was doing a great impression of a statue in the center of the room, staring at the floor. He still hadn't moved a muscle from when his father had been speaking and didn't acknowledge the red head as she stopped right next to him.

"Hey," she poked him in the side with a smile. "What do you call a sleepwalking nun?"

"What?"

"A roamin' Catholic."

Undertaker closed his eyes as a small laugh came out of his chest. There was no sound, only the movement of his body that she felt through the hand on his back. She watched a small tear trace it's way down his cheek. Moving slowly, so as not to spook him, Serena slid her arms around the reaper. After a moment, she felt him relax into the embrace. His forehead landed on her shoulder and his arms came around her.

Serena caught Corrine's eye as the demon stared at them. The brunette looked away quickly before walking to the door.

"I'll just be outside, waiting for the Elder's return."

"What if there's someone out there?"

Corrine smirked, showing fangs. "I think I'll be alright."

None of them noticed Lucifer leaning around the wall upstairs to watch his son and the red head. He already knew that there was no other souls in the house, could feel it the moment he stepped inside it's walls.

 _'But, I'll look to make Aelius happy.'_

He turned away and walked slowly down the ruined hallway.

********************A Demon's Mate*****************

Ciel waited in the carriage and looked at the house of his enemy. It had taken two years, but he finally took everything from the older man. There was no respectable house in London that would accept him, no family that would come to his aid. Losing the small empire he had built had not done the man any favors either. Add to that, Sebastian destroying the other Elder's house demon by demon and it was no wonder that the manor house had been neglected.

The bushes and plants around the front of the house, as well as along the drive, were all overgrown. The grass reached for the sky and weeds grew high and visible in patches throughout the lawn. Columns that held a roof over the front stairs were cracked. Looking further down the house, Ciel noticed that a couple of the windows had been cracked and not replaced and one had been broken out completely. It didn't really matter, there was only light coming from the upstairs rooms and only two at that.

As he walked up the stairs, Ciel felt Sebastian behind him. The demon was radiating his anticipation. As soon as he had told his butler that this was it, he was sick of waiting, Sebastian had gotten an evil smirk on his face that hadn't left. Pure power clung to him, almost losing the illusion of humanity that Ciel was used to. The others around the house had been sent away on errands, so as not to notice the demon in their midst.

It wasn't hard to find something for them to do. His wedding to Elizabeth was tomorrow and Ciel insisted that this be over before then.

 _'Much of the darkness that surrounds the estate will be dispelled after tonight. Just as I wanted before Lizzy moved in. Sebastian will leave after this as well.'_ The Earl shook his head to clear it. _'It shouldn't make me sad to see the last of that demon. My life isn't tied to him anymore and I'll move on, the same as him.'_

The doors opened as they reached the top step to show darkness inside. Neither hesitated to walk forward.

*******************A Demon's Mate*******************

Undertaker pulled away and Serena waited for him to collect himself. She smiled and brushed some of the hair away from his face.

"Are you better now?"

"I apologize." He kept his face turned away from her and walked across the hall.

"I think that you're entitled, after tonight." Serena followed him to the doorway. "It's been a little weird, huh?"

He scoffed. "That's an understatement."

"So, it's true."

Both looked to see Edwin coming out of the darkness from the driveway, Lucien at his side. Corrine was seated at the bottom of the stairs and stood as they came closer. Edwin stopped at the top of the stairs and stared at the red head.

Edwin glared at both of them. "The Elder isn't going to be pleased."

"You know Edwin, at this point, Sebastian can kiss my ass." Serena turned around and strode back into the house. She looked up and saw that Lucifer was jumping back to the bottom floor.

"The house is clean. I've removed the wards that Jonathan set up." He straightened his suit after his landing.

"Thank you."

Lucifer nodded as the demons came into the house. Edwin and Lucien saw the Fallen and stared for a moment before hitting their knees. Lucifer waved off the reverence.

"Where is the family?" Undertaker asked and ignored the glare that both demons sent him.

After a moment, Edwin answered. "They are coming up the drive now."

Serena looked around the room and winced. Walking away from Undertaker, she looked for any part of the house that wasn't completely destroyed. Behind her, Lucifer went to stand next to his son.

"It occurs to me, that you were willing to owe me a favor to help this girl. You wouldn't even let me heal you during the war between the demons and reapers. But, you'll call me to help her."

The reaper sighed. "And I have no idea why."

He looked at his son and a smirk spread over his face.

"You have forgotten the skills that I taught you." Lucifer slipped behind Aelius. "Her soul is very old and seen many lifetimes. The eyes may be the window to the soul, however, it is through the eyes that the world lies to us the most."

He put his hand over his son's eyes. "Look at her. Not with your eyes but the power that I passed to you with my blood."

Aelius slowed his breath and focused on Serena. He heard the car pulling up in front of the ruined front doors. He heard the sharp intake of breath from Malory and the curse from Henry as they looking into their home. Alex was awake and he heard the boy yell for Serena as he jumped from his father's arms.

"He's gone! You did it."

The reaper heard Alex running through the rubble as his parents yelled after him to be careful. The sound changed. Instead of shoes on the broken stone floor, he heard bare feet running through the tall grass of the forest that had once surrounded a little village. Instead of black hair, the child's head was covered with a mane of silver the streamed behind him as he ran. The room changed in his mind's eye and they were outside, the setting sun bathed the world in reds and oranges and golds as he burst through the trees and ran across the shorter grass to the home that he shared with his mother. The arms the child jumped into were tan instead of pale and as she swung him around, it was not red that flowed around them but dense brown.

Lucifer pulled his hand away as Undertaker's eyes opened. He looked at Serena again and wondered how he could have missed the soul of his own mother.

The Fallen smirked. "Do you really think that I would have stood still and let just any mortal lecture me?"

"Serena," Malory came forward while still looking around the house. "What the hell happened here?"

"I can explain." Serena winced as something fell behind her. "I...It's like this...You see...No, I can't. Never mind."

"Never mind?" Henry came up behind his wife.

The red head snapped her fingers. "However, I do think I can make it up to you."

"I'd love to hear this." The blonde crossed her arms.

Serena ran her hand through Alex's hair and started for where the stairs used to be.

"You're going to give it to them?" Corrine asked as she came closer.

"Well, look at this craftsmanship." She waved her hand to encompass the house. "To replace this damage, they're probably going to need it."

"Good point."

"What are you talking about?" Henry followed behind.

"I know, I know." Alex waved his hand around. "You're going to show them the passage in the office right?"

"How do you...he showed it to you?"

"Who?"

"The man in the garden showed me where the vault was. He said that soon, there wouldn't be anyone to show where it was anymore and the family might need it. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about it unless something big happened."

Serena looked around at the damage that surrounded them. "I think that this qualifies."

**************A Demon's Mate**************

Haagenti strode through the doors of his home with a purpose. He ignored the others around him that bowed as he passed. Layla tried to get his attention about some gathering, but he waved her off as he climbed the stairs leading to his rooms. He had more important things to worry about right now.

At the doors to the Elder's chambers, Leiko moved aside and bowed her head as Haagenti appeared. The Elder waved her away as well, trying to remember that he felt the heartbeat of his mate as he came through the front doors and there was no need to dismember the guard piece by bloody piece, starting at the fingers.

The sitting room that formed the first of the Elder's suite was empty and perfect, as usual. He strode past the heavy wood and dark furniture that his mate preferred. The light colored walls reflected the light from the fireplace and made the room appear brighter than it was. Haagenti had to force himself past the heavy mirror that hung on the wall, just outside of their bedroom, when all he wanted to do was smash it to bits.

The double doors leading to the bedroom opened before he touched them and Haagenti stopped just inside the doors. Zachery was sleeping, the sheets and blankets mostly kicked off the bed, as was usual. He moved so much when he slept, as if his body was making up for the lack of movement while he studied.

The light from the fireplace played with the shadows that danced over his skin. It was Zachery's favorite piece in their room, even though it was unneeded. In difference to the heat, the doors that opened onto a large balcony had been left open.

Blue eyes opened as he approached the bed. Zachery smiled as he noticed his demon and sat up in the bed. Haagenti didn't say anything as he pulled the man into his arms and buried his head in the other's hair.

"Haagenti, what is it? Did something go wrong? Did she not come back?"

The Elder just shook his head and pulled away enough to lay his forehead against his mate's.

"I just...need to be here. I just need to feel you, before I go back."

"I am not going anywhere." Zachery rubbed his hand over the demon's back and closed his eyes.

***************A Demon's Mate****************

"I can't believe that this has been here the whole time." Malory walked around the small vault. Her hands reached out for several items, but stopped each time before she touched them. "So many people tried to find this. The forest is full of pits from the earls trying to find the lost fortune and it was right here the whole time."

"Sebastian and Ciel liked to hide things in plain sight. It made them feel even smarter." Serena still held Alex as they looked around. The boy didn't seem surprised by the hoard that they had found, leading her to believe that someone had already shown it to him.

Lucifer looked around as well, taking in the paintings and letting his fingers move through the jewels as they spilled out of their boxes. Undertaker watched his father move about the small area, still not sure what to say. More often than not, his eyes drifted to Serena and Alex.

He kept reminding himself of the lessons he had been given as a reaper. Reincarnations may have a little knowledge retained from their past lives, feelings of deja vu, quick to a subject they had studied before or a job they had been good at. But the bulk of their memories, who they were was gone, a slate wiped clean with each death.

Serena didn't look like Asta. She didn't smell like his mother. She didn't speak like his mother. She didn't think like his mother. She wasn't his mother. And he kept repeating it over and over to himself.

Seeing Aelius with a troubled look on his face, Lucifer slipped over beside him.

"What is it?"

He looked at his father, surprised that he hadn't noticed him next to him. Aelius looked back at Serena again.

"Why is she still being reincarnated?"

Lucifer looked away. "Because of me."

Aelius stared at his father and waited for the rest of the explanation.

"Because she laid with me, bore me a son, because I kept her alive. All of it leaves an imprint. Someone gave her an opportunity to keep being reincarnated and make it up on the cosmic scoreboard." He slid his hand into his pockets. "I've run across her a few times and she always reacted like she did tonight. I wasn't shining too brightly, her soul remembers me. If you hadn't done anything, she would have run away."

"But, it doesn't remember me."

"Well, it remembers the pain that I brought. A lesson learned."

"So the universe has made her pay for her intersection with you, just to mate her to a demon?"

"He loves irony." Lucifer shook his head. "To spend all those lifetimes making up for soothing a damned being, only to spend the rest of eternity with another." The Fallen shrugged. "Besides, who better to hold a demon of wrath? She's got plenty of experience hiding in that soul."

"I suppose."

Alex let out a yawn that brought everyone's attention back to him. The boy laid his head on Serena's shoulder and closed his eyes as his mother ran a hand over his head. Malory watched his body relax with a smile.

"We should get going. We'll have to move to the townhouse for the time being." Henry slid an arm around his wife and led her to the gates that shut the room off from the passageway.

"Is it really alright to leave this here?" Serena followed with the sleeping boy and waved to Undertaker and Lucifer so they could close it up.

"No one has found it in all this time." Malory looked back as Undertaker closed the gates. "I think that it'll be alright."

"Good point."

As they found the light from the office again, Henry stepped through first and stopped dead in his tracks. Malory gave him a little push but the man didn't move.

"Henry, what's wrong?"

"You're not going to believe it." He moved out of the way and the rest of them filed into the room.

It was perfect. All the books were back on the shelves, the furniture righted. The ceiling was where it was supposed to be, no beams hanging down. Henry hurried to the door and looked into the hall to see more of the same. There was no damage anywhere.

"This isn't possible." Malory looked around the room in shock and touched the desk that had been in pieces when they had gone through the passage earlier.

"Oh, I did it." Lucifer smiled and pulled a beautiful ruby necklace from his pocket. "I think it's a fair trade. Regina will love this."

"Who are you?" Malory asked as she looked at the man.

Serena waved her free hand around and pointed at Lucifer. "Don't answer that!"

When she turned back to Malory the blonde was staring at her. Serena started to pull her out of the room. "Trust me, you don't want to know. Just say alright and move on."

"Alright."

The floor shook as Undertaker and Lucifer threw their heads back and laughed.

********************A Demon's Mate********************

Serena smiled as she laid Alex in his bed and pulled the sheets over his body. She stepped away as Malory laid a kiss on his head and whispered good night. Henry waved the two women out of the room. In the hall, he left the door open a little.

"Seriously, what happened here tonight?"

"Let's just say that we found the source of Alex's nightmares. And he's gone." Serena yawned herself as Undertaker and Lucifer came down the hallway.

"He?"

"Well, it was kind of..." She looked at Undertaker and shrugged. "A ghost, I guess."

"We could call him that."

"The house really was haunted?" Henry blinked as he stared at the three.

"Yup." Serena looked away. "More than you know."

"And that's why you destroyed the house?" Malory asked, obviously not believing it.

"Actually," Undertaker interrupted with a giggle. "The ghost destroyed the house. While trying to kill us."

"A ghost destroyed a home that has stood for centuries?"

"That's not entirely accurate. The house as it is had been restored several times by Sebastian. As Ciel had a small issue with pissing people off and when they attacked, his servants used anything possible to fight them off. Sometimes, they just blew stuff up." Serena smiled. "I would suggest that you read the manga and watch the anime again. I'm not really sure how many times Sebastian rebuilt the manor."

"Seventeen." Undertaker whispered loudly.

"Wow." Henry said simply.

Lucifer crossed his arms. "That's impressive."

"Those servants were gifted." Serena smiled as she got lost in her memories for a moment.

As they looked over the newly-restored Hall, everyone stopped as the servants came streaming in from the garden. Some were still in uniform, most were in their nightclothes, and all of them looked confused.

"I was wondering where everyone was." Malory put a hand on the railing to lean over further.

"I know that it sounds awful, but I kind of forgot about them." The red head winced as she thought of what could have happened if the servants had still been in the house during Jonathan's little tantrum. "Lucien got them all outside."

"Thank you for thinking about them." Malory smiled at Lucien while turning to glare at Serena.

"I'm sorry I forgot. I was a little more worried about getting my head bashed in at the time and finding secret treasure."

Lucifer laughed. "And on that note, I will be taking my leave."

The Fallen slipped past the crowd at the head of the stairs and moved easily for the front doors.

"Wait." Undertaker called out. "So, what do I owe you for this?"

Lucifer turned back and his eyes rested on Serena. The reaper knew that it wasn't the red head that his father was really seeing, but Asta.

"This one's on me." He shook his head as the butler hurried to open the door for him.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that." Undertaker cocked his head to the side as he stared at Jameson closing the doors behind his father.

"Should I be worried?" Serena leaned over.

"Probably."

She hung her head. "Why is my life so weird?"


	43. Chapter 43

Author's Note: Nothing right now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty Three

Lucifer touched down on the back lawn of a beautiful, Colonial style mansion and walked leisurely toward the house, taking in the beautiful landscaping that had been done with an eye for detail that wasn't human. There was a wrought iron table set on the expansive, marble balcony that led into the house itself and he pulled a chair out silently. Taking a seat, he looked up at the darkened building and waited. It wasn't long that the door leading to the inside opened and the demon he came to see stepped outside.

The Fallen waved off the bow he could see coming.

"Lord Lucifer. To what do I owe the honor of a visit?"

"Your mate, actually." He laughed softly as the demon cursed. "Your Serena is quite interesting, isn't she?"

"Yes, my lord."

Lucifer held out a hand to one of the other chairs and waited for the demon to sit.

"You know, she still calls you Sebastian."

"I was waiting until my contract was over to tell her my name. That did not happen before her death in the past."

"I had heard of that. Speaking of names, what are you using now?"

The demon raised an eyebrow. "My master has named me Aiden this time."

"Rather popular name," Lucifer commented.

"My master is evil for sure, but, not the most inventive."

"Hmm, I can feel it from down here." Lucifer looked to a window on the second floor and the center of corruption that he could feel radiating from it. "He'll certainly be a fitting meal when your contract is over. However, he's not another Ciel Phantomhive then?"

"Far from it." The demon got a wistful look on his face before turned his attention back to the other.

Lucifer smiled and leaned back in his chair. "London has been... eventful since you mate arrived. Especially, last night."

Aiden's attention was definitely caught.

"She's fine." The Fallen held up a hand to stop the small panic that he could see coming. "However, she was injured. That is why, the one you call Undertaker shared his blood with her."

The demon snarled and burst from his seat. "I'll rip that damned reaper to shreds!"

A weight hit Aiden square in the chest and shoved the demon to the ground. Concrete and stone gave under the power with a crack. The crushing weight didn't let up and he felt the bones in his chest start to give under the pressure. Struggling did nothing. There was no power or strength that he possessed to move the foot holding him down. He looked up the long body holding him down to the blazing eyes of an enraged fallen angel.

"You will do no such thing. If you were better at looking after what belongs to you, it wouldn't fall to others to do so in your absence. Don't complain about their methods." The Fallen waited a moment, his eyes blazing with the power of the cosmos as he held Aiden down with his foot. After a moment, he let the demon up and took his seat again.

"Sit down, demon." Lucifer's tone left no room to do anything else and he waited for the Elder to force himself into the seat. "I came to explain and have no wish to repeat myself. So, I suggest that you pay attention."

Aiden forced himself to calm down. Closing his eyes for a moment, he pulled himself back together and when he opened them again, his normal crimson showed instead of swirling red. Taking a deep breath, he forced his body to relax back into the seat and waited.

"Good. Now, I'll explain." Lucifer laid his cheek on his fist. "It appears that the first earl of Phantomhive was quite interested by the occult and found a way to seal his soul into the house itself. Over the centuries since his death, he trapped the souls of his descendants in the house with him to feed off their souls for energy and power, almost like a demon."

Aiden shook his head his eyes narrowing. "I stayed in that house for years and never felt a single soul that shouldn't have been there."

"Therein lies the genius. He had immersed himself and the souls within the house itself, within the mortar, stone and wood, so that it felt like they should have been there all along and it didn't trip anyone's radar. However, when he was finally found out, Jonathan had buried himself so deep in the house, that he could use the building and everything inside it as a weapon."

"It brings into question some of the events that always surrounded that house."

"Doesn't it?" Lucifer smiled. "Anyway, your mate and Undertaker figured out that his true aim was to gather enough power to push one of his descendant's souls from their body and, at the moment of death, he would jump in and take over. Ciel Phantomhive was the first one that he planned on using, however, we all know how that turned out. His focus shifted to Alexander after the boy's birth. Your mate has grown quite close to the boy."

"I have heard that he is very interesting."

"Ah, yes, the guard that you left at the estate. Anyway, in fighting off Jonathan, of which they were successful by the way, Serena was injured. Seriously enough that Undertaker gave her enough blood that her body would be able to heal. No more, no less."

Aiden fought against the anger that was rising that a reaper gave their blood to his mate. Despite what many thought, it was a connection that would linger and he wasn't happy about it. The iron handrails started to bend under the force of his hands and the small screech of metal brought his anger under control again.

 _'I need to get her in my home and away from this nonsense as soon as possible.'_

Lucifer's voice pushed thoughts from the demon's mind, forcing him to pay attention. "I am explaining to make it clear that you will not lay a finger on the being known as Undertaker. There is nothing romantic between the two, although they do appear to be becoming close. It is nothing to be concerned about."

The demon leaned forward in his seat. "Lord Lucifer, why are you involved and so insistent that Undertaker be left alone?"

"That is my concern. Not yours. You should be worried about completing your contract and retrieving your mate." The smile stayed on his face, but his sunrise eyes carried a warning that this discussion was over. "Now, then. I will be going."

Lucifer stood and Aiden hurried to follow. As the Fallen walked back down the patio stairs, Haagenti appeared on the lawn. The Elder stood shocked on the grass as Lucifer walked easily across the area toward the back wall.

"Good evening, Haagenti. I have already explained what happened in London."

Haagenti hit his knees, staring at the ground still shocked. "Lord Lucifer."

The Fallen didn't stop as he jumped to the top of the wall that ran around the estate and disappeared behind it.

"What was Lord Lucifer telling you about?" Haagenti stood again and saw the other Elder with a phone to his ear and his hand up to tell him to stop.

"What is wrong with you!" Aiden yelled into the phone as soon as the line was picked up.

***************A Demon's Mate******************

 _Serena smiled and lifted her head to the sun from her place in the center of the maze. It was quiet, a moment to reflect and just be. The scent of flowers wafted on an easy breeze and surrounded the red head as she leaned back in her seat and listened to Alex's laughter while the boy ran through the twists and turns made from stone and bushes, his demon following behind in the small game._

 _She opened her eyes at the sound of footsteps to her right and saw Malory coming through the last turn of the maze._

 _"I was wondering where you had gotten too."_

 _"I was just enjoying the garden. It's beautiful here." Serena smiled again as the older woman sat in the other seat. "Was there something that you needed?"_

 _"Actually, I was going to see how long you were planning on staying with us. I'm sure that Alex would love you to stay and the rest of us have grown rather attached."_

 _"Despite all the trouble that I bring."_

 _Malory laughed. "Even with all the demons and reapers that you bring with you."_

 _"I suppose that I could stay for a while. I don't really have anything else going on right now."_

 _In her room, that she had claimed for the duration, Serena looked out the window over the garden that was covered with snow. The same as it had been when she stayed with Ciel. The door opened behind her and Claire walked in with a smile._

 _"Are you sure that you don't want to come down? My cake isn't going to be there forever."_

 _Serena smiled. "I'm sure. This is a family thing."_

 _"Alright."_

 _The door closed softly behind the girl who had just graduated and Serena turned back to the spring garden._

 _It was beautiful with all it's colors and blossoms. The perfect place to hold a wedding. And from her place in the window, she could watch it all. Anabelle was gorgeous in the flowing white gown that she had had customized, various pieces taken from gowns of previous family members and put together to make something that was old and new._

 _The door opened again and Serena marveled in Malory's blonde hair that was now lightened by streaks of white._

 _"Alex would love it if you would come to the party. He wants you to meet his fiancé."_

 _"I know, but I don't want to get attached to someone else." She looked down at her hands that were starting to show signs of age._

 _Malory gave her a sad smile and shut the door behind her._

 _Serena smiled as the moonlight shown bright and clear through the window edged with frost. She heard the baby crying as Alex walked the halls with his two month old son. It was after midnight but the boy just wouldn't settle after the excitement of his first Christmas. The door cracked open and the soft light from the hallway spread across the floor. The crying slowly stalled as the baby looked around the new room._

 _"Hey." Alex smiled, looking so much like she had pictured a happy Ciel. "I thought that you might still be awake."_

 _"It's a beautiful night."_

 _"If someone's not screaming in your ear."_

 _Serena laughed and stroked a finger down the soft skin of the infant's cheek. Big, blue eyes watched her carefully before starting to close as she hummed a little song from her childhood._

 _"You should come out more often. I've never been able to get him to sleep so quickly."_

 _"It should be any day now."_

 _There was a sadness in Alex's eyes as he smiled down at her. After he left, she recognized it as pity. The same thing that she had seen in all their eyes on the less and less frequent visits to her room._

 _She had the window open to let in the heat of the summer night. The roses that climbed a trellis outside her window gave off a heavy fragrance that drifted in with the night breeze as she brushed her hair. Red had given way to white long ago and she pushed the length behind her to ignore the evidence of her wait. Nothing could disguise the wrinkles and spots that covered her hands. A sound from outside and Undertaker appeared on the windowsill, as young as ever._

 _"I haven't seen you in a while. How is London?" She started to get up but he waved her back. The reaper knew how hard it was for her to stand now._

 _"The same as always." He knelt next to her and when the reaper looked up, he sighed. "He's not coming, Serena."_

 _"Yes, he is." She insisted. "He just needs a little more time."_

 _He shook his head. "There is no more time."_

 _Her hand pressed against her chest, trying to stop the pain that had been there on and off for days. Her breath came faster, she told herself from the panic that was rising. It had nothing to do with the body that was failing around her. She grabbed the hand that came up to cup her cheek._

 _"Just a little longer. Please."_

 _"I'm sorry, Serena."_

 _She saw the scythe that she had swung once herself appear in his hand. Darkness edged her vision as the blade swung toward her._

Serena bolted up with a scream and pushed herself into the corner of the four-poster bed. The maid that had just entered the room, stood next to the door with wide eyes. The red head looked down at her hands and pulled her hair forward to check the color. The door swung open and banged against the wall as Edwin and Lucien burst into the room.

Both demons saw her on the bed and quickly looked around the room for any possible threat.

"A nightmare?" Lucien smirked as he came around the side of the bed. "Aww, did your imagination scare you?"

"No, I saw your face." Serena pushed him away, still shaking a bit.

Edwin coughed into his hand to cover a laugh as his partner stalked back to the door.

"Fine." Lucien pouted. "We'll wait for you downstairs then."

The door closed behind them and the maid looked uncertain again. Finally, Serena remembered that her name was Jane.

"The family is meeting for breakfast in thirty minutes, Miss Serena."

The red head nodded and tried to untangle herself from the sheets.

"Do you require anything, Miss?"

"No. No, I'm fine. I'll be down in a minute, Jane."

The maid bowed and hurried out of the room. As the door shut behind her, Serena wrapped her arms around her body and let the shakes pass through her.

*********************A Demon's Mate******************

Flames climbed the walls that surrounded Ciel as he stalked the enemy that had consumed the majority of his life. A part of him still wanted to flinch back from the fire, his biggest fear, but he wouldn't back down now. The man scrambled back from his position on the floor, trying to get away from the death that was walking toward him. In the distance, both could hear the screeches and screams of the two demons fighting deeper in the house.

"Monster."

Ciel felt a smirk pull at the corner of his lips. The gun he held lifted, barrel pointed at the man on the ground that had nowhere else to run. "I'm only the monster that you made me.

His finger tightened on the trigger, just a little. "If you had just left us alone, I would never have become this. I would never have become what I am."

The man laughed as he shook his head. "You should look into your family more. You're all monsters. Blame it on me, blame it on your demon, blame it on the way the world is, blame it on God if you wish, but you still would have turned out the same. I'm just another symptom of the cursed Phantomhives."

Ciel didn't see, so consumed by the rage that always filled him bubbling over. He didn't see the man wiping his hand along the floor, picking up the dirt and dust and broken debris that was close at hand. He didn't see the cloud coming at his face until he felt the dust hit his airway, felt his lungs try to reject the foreign matter...to point of closing against it. The coughing started, each harder than the last. Breath refused to enter his lungs as the Earl dropped to his knees. Pain ripped through his chest, throat, head, darkness edging his vision.

"N...no! Not yet." His finger tightened on the trigger, even though his target was just a dark blog in his dirt-filled eyes. "I won't die before you."

****************A Demon's Mate*****************

Blooms of every color danced in the summer breeze as Serena made her way through the well-tended garden. The shears found only the most perfect flowers before cutting them from their stems and adding their color and fragrance to the mass in her hand. It was early enough that the humidity had yet to press down on the world and it let her walk slowly through the perfect garden. Perfect, but she couldn't help but think that something was missing without the explosions or screaming that had always marked this house as she had known it. Maybe that was the problem. This wasn't the home that she was looking for.

After calming down in the shower, Serena had sat through a quiet breakfast and escaped as soon as Alex had disappeared with his nanny. She had to get out of her room, out of the house that her mind had turned into a prison that had nothing to do with Jonathan or his awful ambitions. There was another place that called to her after last night, but she couldn't visit without an offering.

The garden of stone was exactly as she remembered it. Spires of granite and marble rising from the earth, marking the place of the deceased and leaving a monument for the living to mourn at. Each one a testament to a life that was ended, either prematurely or well-past time, and each stone was individual in the life that it marked. There were some that matched, she assumed those of married couples, or a child that had passed too soon whose parents had chosen a stone that they would copy later. Time was reflected in the way they were made, the craftsmanship and design. One could see the passage of years, decades, centuries...generations in the stones.

There was a quiet beauty here and Serena wondered if this was what made Undertaker continue on in the business of death. To make something lasting and beautiful for those left behind. To let them rejoice in the life that was lost and the memories they still had. Each stone was a memory, maybe not for her or the current generation, but they each had been a memory for someone.

That wasn't right. Some of these stones were memories for her and Serena stopped in front of the first with a smile. It was newer than the others she would be looking for, but not by much, only a couple decades. It carried the same hand-chiseled look that was quite impressive, considering the lack of machinery at the time. She wondered if Undertaker had crafted this as well, as he seemed to have done for most of the family. Was the coffin that was laying under this ground carved by the same reaper that still offered his hand-made coffins today, still carved them with the same attention to detail and appreciation for the person that would use them as he always had.

Shaking her head, Serena pulled two of the pink roses out of her little bouquet and laid them in front of the stone.

"I hope you still love pink, Lizzy. It fit you. Something bright and happy in the cold, London winter." Serena sighed and knelt down, balancing on the balls of her feet. "I thought that I would come here and everything would be alright, that I would find what I was looking for. But, it's not here. This isn't home anymore." She laughed. "I guess I did get to see you one more time though."

The red head looked over, at the matching gray stone that sat beside Lizzy's and leaned to place the yellow roses that she had cut.

"I didn't know you, especially not enough to choose a flower for you. They say that yellow is for friendship. Even though we didn't really meet, marrying Lizzy makes you a friend."

Seeing the bright yellow and pink together, Serena nodded and moved to the row behind. There were three stones here that held her attention and all three matched. The red head stopped first in front of one baring a lady's name, belonging to Ciel's mother.

"I have a feeling that Lizzy modeled herself after you." She laid another set of the pink roses at the base of the stone. "I wish that I had gotten a chance to talk to you."

Moving to the next, Serena took a moment before kneeling down and laying the white roses she had cut on the ground.

"Ciel always had white roses around the mansion and I think that was because of you. I know that they are supposed to mean innocence, but there's a cool sophistication that I always think of when I see white roses. And I think that fits you." Serena smiled as she stood back up. "Thank you for helping last night."

The last stone she had come to see stood proud on the other side of his father's. The dark granite rose from the ground, proudly declaring the life span of the last Earl of Phantomhive with no apology or sugar-coating. There was nothing to detract from the harsh reality of a short life. And there was nothing to show how vibrant and full that life had been.

"I know that you liked the white roses, but they didn't fit you to me. That cool sophistication did fit the image that everyone else saw, but not the Ciel that I saw." Serena took a moment to smell the bright, red roses that she held before laying them in offering at the base of the stone. "I always thought of red roses when I saw you. Passionate about everything that you did. Elegant and striking in the midst of drab gray. I wonder if the rest of London society saw that, if it wasn't just the money and status that made the Momma's push their daughters at you even though you were already engaged. Is that what made people want to do business with you, want to be close to you on the small amount of occasions that you did venture into society? Did they see how special you were? Is that what drew Sebastian to you?"

She sighed and sniffed tears back. "I miss you. Undertaker told me that Sebastian broke your contract, so he didn't eat your soul. You must not have died in the house since you weren't here for Jonathan to feed on and there is no way that he was able to drain you dry before we got him out. So, where did you go?"

Her fingers brushed the carved name.

"Did you see what happened here? Or have you already moved on? Do these members of the family not matter to you since they don't carry the Phantomhive name? Or, are you still watching them...from wherever you are?"

"You know he's not in there."

Serena jumped and glared at Undertaker leaning against the stone.

"I know." The red head sighed and flopped on the ground in front of the next stone in the line. "Gravestones are for the living. They give you some way to feel that your loved one may still be there, something else to focus on instead of the death below the ground."

"That's awful philosophical for this early in the morning."

Serena shrugged and watched as the reaper came around and sat on the ground next to her.

"You're looking a little pale."

"It's nothing." She waved him off.

"Really?"

"It's just a nightmare. Doesn't mean anything."

"Our dreams are sometimes a glimpse into the psyche."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" The red head glared before looking away from the smirking reaper. "He didn't come."

"Your demon."

She nodded as she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I wasted the rest of my life waiting and he never came because...of what Lucien said. I never did anything, all I did was sit in that room and wait. Then you came and..."

"I see." Undertaker brushed her hair back from her face. "That's not going to happen."

"How do you know? It could happen. The last time I saw him, I was yelling at him. We fought all the time." Serena choked on her own breath for a moment, refusing to cry again, but of course he knew. The reaper laid a gentle hand on the top of her head.

"Shh. I know because I saw him after your death."

A tiny voice came from the curtain of red hair. "I heard him."

"What?" The reaper pulled her face to look at him.

"I was still in there. I heard what was going on. It just took me a while to remember it."

"Then you should know that your fears and nightmares are groundless. Demons don't get another chance. They don't get another mate. That's why they are so protective. When a soul is chosen for a demon, that soul is at the end of it's...life, I guess you would say. If the demon doesn't find them or they pass before the mating is complete, there is no other life waiting but the next stage. That's also why there is no reason to fear not coming back to this plane. You wouldn't come back anyway."

"So, when He was talking about Ciel being reincarnated..."

"That wouldn't happen for you." He pushed her hair back again with a smile. "He'll come and you can work out whatever your problems are then."

Serena looked away, letting his words sink in and feeling the little flicker of hope push the rest of her nightmare away.

"You know, instead of talking to a carved rock, you could just ask me what you want to know."

"Change of subject. And what's that going to cost me?"

"I suppose that I should charge something, but I'm tired too after last night." Undertaker sat back against Ciel's stone and stretched his legs out. "I'll bill you. Who do you want to know about first?"

Serena started but the reaper merely pointed to the name carved in stone above him. "Malory said that his death certificate lists his cause of death as asthma, but that can't be right."

"Actually, it is."

"What!?" She grabbed the front of his robes and tried to pull him closer.

"The little Earl found his enemy and he didn't fight fair. The man threw dirt in Lord Phantomhive's face." Undertaker shrugged.

"An asthma attack? That's what killed him?" She waited for his nod before she exploded. "That can't be right. Sebastian must have lied to you. There's no way that Ciel was killed by something so stupid."

"Demons don't lie. He couldn't change his body, Serena. His lungs were his weakness and his enemy knew that." He shrugged again. "The little Earl did kill him before the end."

Serena looked at Ciel's stone and let the shock go through her. "That's...not right."

"It's just the way it is. He killed his enemy, Serena. That was enough for him."

"It shouldn't have happened like that." The words were only a mumble, barely heard by her companion. "What about Soma and Agni?"

"Ah, the prince had to vacate the townhouse, as it was part of the estate. It was rather upsetting for him to have lost his best friend and his home at once. He took to traveling for a while and when he finally came back, he married an Englishwoman and stayed here for the rest of his life. It was one of Lady Elizabeth's friends I believe. And Agni was one step behind him the whole way, like always. They were all friends and remained in each other's lives until the end."

"I miss them."

"And they missed you. It's interesting that you gave the little Earl red roses."

"Why?"

"That is what he placed on your grave and that's what Lady Elizabeth brought here every year. To you and her former fiancé."

"I can't believe how much Alex looks like Ciel." Serena shook her head and turned back to the reaper. "It's not just looks either. They have some of the same expressions."

"And why shouldn't he look like the little Earl?"

"I know that Lizzy and Ciel were related, but seriously? Ciel died before he married Lizzy. Her descendants should not look like him."

Undertaker grinned, looking at Serena out of the corner of his eye. "You should know that people don't have to be married to have sex."

Her eyes bugged out and her jaw dropped. "No way."

"Lady Elizabeth married Arthur only weeks after he became the earl. It was a little shocking to society. Until their first child was born a bit early, add in the fact that their new son looked like a carbon copy of the former earl..." He shrugged. "It wasn't hard to figure out."

Serena's jaw dropped further and she turned to look at Elizabeth's stone. "Lizzy!" The red head laughed. "I guess she got her kiss, huh?"

Undertaker snorted. "I'd say that she got more than a kiss."

The smile on her face vanished as she turned back. "That would have been a problem with society."

The reaper nodded gravely. "It was, at first. The family laid low for a little while. However it's hard, even for the most viscous gossip, to keep something going when the queen herself attended their wedding and the christening of their son. Also, the nobles didn't like Arthur as the new earl to begin with. He wasn't one of them. When it was discovered that the boy looked so much like the former earl that his parentage couldn't be disputed, they looked at it as fate stepping in and keeping the noble blood in power."

"Didn't Arthur have a problem with that?"

"I believe he may have thought it right, as well. He was never as comfortable in his position as the little Earl or his son had been. Could that have been being raised by a country doctor, perhaps. I think it was because he didn't think that he should have been earl either. He said once that he and his name were a shelter for the Phantomhives to grow strong again."

"And they did," she said softly.

Undertaker nodded and followed her eyes to look at the house.

"I believe that we are about to have company." The reaper nodded to the path that led between the cemetery and gardens as Edwin walked quickly through the gate. Lucien was right behind him, with a phone held away from his ear, but stopped just inside the stones. Serena couldn't hear the conversation but when Lucien kept wincing, she wasn't sure she wanted to.

Edwin found them easily and long strides ate up the ground to close the distance. He still glared at Undertaker and how close the reaper sat to his Elder's mate before speaking to Serena.

"My lady. We have been looking for you since breakfast."

"Sorry. I wanted to visit after last night." She patted the ground that held Ciel's grave, "Alone."

He looked to Undertaker again. "You don't look to be alone."

The red head felt heat come over her face, not sure if it was anger or embarrassment. "I was alone for as long as I wanted to be."

His glare shot to her before he remembered his Elder's threats. Pulling calm back around him, Edwin bowed slightly in apology. "The Elder has ordered us to return to his territory."

"Is that who Lucien is talking to?" Serena looked again at the pained expression on the blond's face that she could see from across the cemetery.

"Yes. The Elder is angry that you were upset by Lucien's careless words."

"What?"

Undertaker leaned forward. "I believe that he means your nightmare."

"How could Sebastian possibly know about that already?" She turned to Undertaker. "I just told you about it."

The reaper smirked. "You should know, around this house, there is always someone listening. And this one has your demon's phone number."

He pointed behind her where a small grove of trees sat in the corner of the cemetery. In the middle, in the deepest shadows, Serena made out a man waving. She could feel the smirk in his stance, in the air, even though she couldn't see it and waved back slowly. "He feels so damn familiar. Is that Malikai?"

"You know Malikai?" Edwin asked.

"He showed up at the townhouse in the past."

The demon blinked at her for a moment. "I see. And no, the Elder did not leave Malikai here."

"Teo? I saw him in Tokyo. I think."

"You did. He was your guard while in Gusion's territory. He would only allow one of your mate's demons to be in his territory at a time." Undertaker giggled as she tried to find the answer. "I believe he is awaiting you in America."

"You're right. Teo's shorter. I didn't think that he was part of Sebastian's...family." Serena looked between them as the reaper laughed.

"He wasn't, then. Teo transferred after meeting you."

"Oh." She looked back to the shadow. "And you're not going to tell me who he is. He told Sebastian about my nightmare?"

"Yes, and the Elder has also heard about what happened here last night. He is upset that you were injured and put into a position to accept blood from Undertaker."

The reaper in question laughed a little. "I take it that you both are in a bit of trouble over that. I told you that he would be more angry with me than you."

"He is most angry with Lucien and myself." The demon winced slightly.

Serena winced with him. "I feel like I should apologize."

"Don't." Undertaker sat up straight. "You cannot hide misbehavior from their Elder."

The demon growled at him but the reaper didn't flinch. "You know that I am right. The Elders keep their families in line. The smallest seed of dissent can grow into a full rebellion."

"Okay, what the hell are you guys talking about?" Serena looked back and forth between them.

"You will rule the family in the Elder's absence. In essence, the demons of your family will look at you the same as they do your demon. You cannot allow them to get away with anything that the Elder would not allow." Undertaker stared at her through his hair and Serena could feel the seriousness in eyes that she couldn't see.

"Oh."

Edwin closed his eyes for a moment. "Undertaker is correct."

All three looked over again as Lucien started toward them. The smile on his face was obviously strained as he reached the little trio but he never said a word about it.

"The Elder would like us to return to his territory."

"Edwin already told us." Serena spoke past the lump in her throat. Edwin and Lucien weren't in her nightmare at all. "When are you leaving?"

Both demons looked confused. Finally, Lucien cocked his head to the side. "When you do. The Elder has ordered all of us back to his territory."

"Ordered?" Her eyes narrowed. "He ordered me to go back home?"

Undertaker giggled. "I love that that is the only part of the statement that you consider relevant."

"He thinks that he can just order me around like one of his little underlings?"

They could see the redhead working herself into a rage and the demons were already trying to think of something to bring her back down. They remembered the last time she had gotten angry at the Elder and the damage that turned inward. There could be no other logic behind getting so drunk that one didn't even remember their own name.

"I believe he is thinking that he can protect you better if you were to leave the London area, that is no longer in his command." Undertaker slid her a sly look. "He didn't fully think out this plan. He remembered that the current Phantoms are much more boring than their predecessors and forgot your talent for finding trouble."

"Hey!" Serena pointed at the reaper before turning away. "You just might be right."

"There you are."

Their little group looked across the graveyard as Malory made her way in their direction. The blonde smiled at seeing all of them together. "I thought you all had taken off again."

"I was just visiting." Serena smiled. "I don't know what they're doing?"

"Visiting?"

The redhead nodded. "Yeah, and I figure I own this little piece of land."

"How do you figure that?"

"It has my name on it." Serena pointed up to the letters chiseled in the large stone.

"I suppose you're right." Malory brushed off the nearest stone and leaned against it carefully.

"I wonder." Serena looked at the ground she was sitting on.

"What?"

"If we dug this up, would there really be a body in there?"

"Why wouldn't there be?" Undertaker giggled from her side.

Serena pointed to herself, pinching her skin a little. "Because I'm here."

"Your body never went anywhere. Just ask Teo when you see him. When you passed through, only your soul went to the past." The reaper sent her a smile. "You should remember who pulled you through. Making another body, one that could die there, wouldn't have been that hard."

"In a sense of morbid curiosity, I really do want to dig it up now. I think it would be interesting." Serena looked around the circle of horrified faces. "What?"

"I think it would be sick." Malory finally said what they all were thinking.

All but one of them. Undertaker pulled a shovel from out of nowhere. "I agree that it would be interesting. I wonder what would happen if you touched your own bones?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Maybe make a rip in the time-space continuum? Isn't that what happens in all the movies?"

Undertaker pondered her answer for a moment before stowing the shovel in his robes. "Perhaps we shouldn't."

"Yeah." The redhead sounded a little depressed. "No sense tempting fate like that."

"We're returning to the Elder's territory." Edwin reached down and pulled Serena to her feet. "You've spent far too much time with reapers."

"I came out here to talk you into staying for a while." Malory crossed her arms. "Now, I think I agree that you should head back."

"Any place that a large amount of demonic power has been used can mess with your perception of reality if you are not strongly rooted in it." Lucien showed an uncharacteristic seriousness. "As the mate of a demon, an Elder specifically, your understanding of the human world is a little skewed to start with. Add in, your little trip and the fact that most of the people that you are close to are not human," He shrugged. "It brings strange thoughts that normal people would readily dismiss before they went very far."

Serena watched the demon. "Are you saying that instead of a checking into plane tickets, I should be looking to check into Bedlam."

"Not at all. Many, but not all, people that are considered to be insane got that way because they saw the truth. They saw the world behind the smoke and mirrors. But humans need the smoke and mirrors to keep a hold of their sanity, to feel safe. It's part of the reason that angels and demons stopped showing themselves to humans unless it was unavoidable. The illusion would have been fading for you for a while now. You know that there is something not right with a lot of things and the further into our world that you get, the more you think of the possibilities."

"Humans are rather fragile creatures." Undertaker agreed. "For most, the closer they get to the truth, the more they cannot handle it. The little Earl was one of the exceptions."

Malory shivered in the summer sun. "You make me want to pack up my children and get as far away from here as possible."

"Your bloodline has lived on the edge of the truth since the beginning." The reaper leaned forward. "It is through family that you are rooted in the face of forces not of your world."

Serena gasped and Undertaker nodded as she got it.

"That's how Ciel was able to summon a demon through sheer will and Jonathan couldn't. How he was able to have wrath without corrupting his soul. That is what the Phantomhive family was really for." She sat up straight. "They protected London from evil. I thought it was human evil, but it wasn't all human. Jonathan got into the occult through family, through walking the line between the worlds of humans and other things. He thought that he could become more. Ciel lost his root when his parents died, but he knew that he was still human. Whether he used the power of a demon for the queen's orders or not, he used it to protect humans. Jonathan touched the reality and saw possibilities for himself."

"And in doing the opposite, the little Earl kept his soul pure. Even through a contract with a demon." Undertaker turned back to Malory, his eyes showing for once. "That is why it was so important that the title pass through blood of your family, even if it wasn't legitimate blood. Through so many generations walking the line, you've built up a resistance to the madness that threatens others. Through living here, growing up here, you build that sense of what is human and what is not, while keeping yourselves firmly rooted in the human world through family bonds."

"Demon's mates aren't close to anyone." Serena said softly.

"And so, they do not have the roots to stay in this world for a long life." He touched her cheek. "You all see the truth, the things that cause accidents, the things in the shadows and it fascinates you. You keep probing deeper until you either find your mate..."

"Or are disposed of by the things you're poking at." She shifted, uncomfortable. "I spend a lot of time with reapers. And I was close to Ciel, who had a contract with a demon."

"And death surrounds all of us that you are close too. It is part of who we are, being the ones who pick up the pieces or the ones who order it done. You seek us out because we are different and you think that we are different like you. But the more you poke, the closer you come to something poking back."

"Like Jonathan."

"Or the human who ordered your death in the past. That is why mates are taken to their demon's home as soon as possible. There is more danger in the human world for those who don't fit. Especially from other humans and you are not equipped to survive it. Even as a mate, at your core, you are a fragile human."

"Because the demon has to care. We stay fragile, even if our life expectancy goes through the roof, even if we get stronger, we're still subject to death while in this world. Because demons have to care about their mates and their safety. It's what keeps them in line. It's a constant threat."

"You are closest to me and I am the biggest threat to you." Undertaker looked her straight in the eye. "Before the war between reapers and demons, demons would bring their mates back to this world from time to time. It's how reapers were able to get to them in the first place. Now, they are kept in the demon's homes where they think that they are safe."

Serena suppressed a shudder, her voice breathless when she finally found words to speak. "But you can go there. Because of your father."

The reaper nodded. "I truly believe that is why I was born in the first place. Why I keep going century after century. I am the sheathed blade that could be called back onto the field in a moment. I do not think that it is coincidence that you saw me in your nightmare. A part of you recognizes the threat that I pose to you."

Edwin pulled the redhead behind him as Lucien jumped forward. Serena held onto the demon's jacket as she tried to make sense of everything.

"You would do it, too. Even after giving her your blood, after calling yourself friend. You would take her soul if it showed up on your list."

"Yes. Once a soul is placed on the To-Die List there is nothing else to be done but wait and collect it." He spoke plainly, looking to the hiding place of the girl behind the demons.

Lucien snarled at the reaper. Behind Edwin, a small voice called him back.

"Wait. I understand. I told you that I could hear what you were saying back then." Her voice was thick. "I keep poking at what could kill me because I think you're the same as me. Different, like me. But you're not."

"You are correct. Unfortunately, we both have a place in the mechanics of existence, but we are on opposite sides of those mechanics. You chain a demon and the power that he wields, I lead the souls that are not evil enough to warrant a demon's hunger. Including your own, if ordered to."

Serena nodded, sniffling tears back in, pushing the loneliness back down. Straightening from her place behind Edwin, the red head nodded. "We should go."

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

It wasn't as upsetting as Serena thought it would be, leaving the manor. The girls had already left for the day, something about a date with friends in town. She did wish that she had had more time to spend with them but they didn't seem to be affected by the strange and unusual that Serena surrounded herself with. Knowing about the strange and unusual and having it shoved into your face were two very different things. Serena didn't want to be the one doing the shoving. Henry was already on his way to his London office. She had been expecting the most resistance from little Alex, but it didn't happen. He wrapped his small arms around her neck and held on tightly, but there was no tantrum.

Alex looked to the upstairs and Serena knew that the demon that had always kept him company had already spoken to him about their leaving. No wonder the boy hadn't been surprised when his mother brought him down to say goodbye.

It didn't stop him from wrangling a promise to call once a week and to come back for break next summer. Serena didn't have the heart to tell him that she was hoping this was over by then.

She did hear a little choke from the boy holding back tears and she was glad that his guardian demon had already taken the brunt of emotion. The red head was upset enough already.

The trip into town was quiet, Edwin and Lucien content to let her dwell in her thoughts. The blonde had tried to apologize for what he had said, but she didn't want to hear it. Serena just didn't want to deal with anything anymore. Thankfully, they seemed to understand and left her to her thoughts.

Serena took a last trip through the empty hotel room looking for anything that she may have missed while packing. Lucien stood at the door with the last of her bags and waited quietly. Although, she hadn't spent a lot of time here, she felt the same pain as leaving the manor. This was a waiting place, that she could go out into the city, possibly run into someone that she knew. Either one of the reapers or one of the Carthrages. In this place, she could still feel connected to the London that she had known through brief trips with Ciel and Sebastian. The beat of the city was the same, the people and the cadence of their lives were the same. Leaving this room was saying goodbye to that and accepting the feeling in her stomach that, once she boarded the flight that Edwin had arranged, she wouldn't come back here again.

 _'But, I'm going to Sebastian. Even if I won't see him right away. That's the reason that I came here to begin with. I was looking for him and I found him, even if it wasn't where I expected to.'_ The red head took a breath as she nodded to Lucien and followed out the door. _'I still needed to see the house again. To know, for certain, that they were all gone. And now I know they had lives, happy lives, after I left.'_

Downstairs, Edwin was finishing up at the front desk. Serena came up behind him and started digging in her purse for her wallet.

"What are you doing?" Lucien shuffled the bags he carried to be dropped easier if there was a problem.

"I'm checking out and paying for my room." She spoke slowly as if she didn't understand why he had asked in the first place.

"Edwin is handling it. Didn't you guess why he took your key cards?"

"What?"

"The Elder isn't going to allow his mate to pay."

"I can do things for myself." She hissed at him.

"I don't understand why you're upset. Weren't you worried about your budget?"

"And I had budgeted my hotel stay. I can pay for things myself. I'm not one of those helpless women that wants a man to come in and take over everything."

The blonde shook his head. "I don't understand humans."

Edwin turned and moved to usher Serena out of the hotel. The red head scowled.

"I could have paid for my own room."

"The Elder ordered that I take care of both reservations. His orders are more binding than yours." The demon didn't miss a beat as he led her through the doors to the car that was waiting to take them to the airport.

The driver had already opened the trunk and was waiting patiently to take their bags. Edwin kept a hand on her lower back as they walked to where the car waited and moved to open the door. Something caught her attention and Serena stopped. Edwin had to stop as well or run the risk of knocking her into the car's side.

"My lady?"

Serena looked around them, searching for what had made her stop. Finally, she shook her head. "It's nothing."

"Ah, just who I was looking for."

Serena's head snapped up as the voice called from the sidewalk. Edwin took a step back and she could see the demon fight off the urge to bow in the middle of the concrete. Out of the tangle of humans crowded on the sidewalk, Lucifer smiled as he stopped in front of them.

"What are you doing here?" Serena looked around, as though someone would recognize who they were talking to and panic would erupt in the streets.

"There was something that I wanted to talk to you about. Before you left London." A gentle hand pulled her purse from her shoulder and handed it off to Edwin. "We'll meet you at the airport."

"My lord. I am not to let my lady out of my sight."

"Yes, I'm certain that your Elder is quite unhappy about last night's events." Both demons winced at the news that everyone knew their failure. Lucifer kept the smile on his face as he turned Serena and slid an arm around her shoulders. "I think that I am capable of watching over your Elder's mate."

Without another word, he led the red head into flow of the crowd. She noticed the same looks that Sebastian and Haagenti garnered sent Lucifer's way as they moved down the street. Every so often, Serena realized that people would start to follow them, turning from their intended direction to walk behind the Fallen before shaking their heads and stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. Lucifer didn't pay them any mind as he continued on his way.

Serena looked up at the Fallen. "What are you doing here?"

"As I said, I wanted to talk to you before you left the area."

"About what?"

"Well, I need your help with something. I helped you last night and I didn't ask for anything." His hand slid down to lay on her waist, pulling her closer. Lucifer leaned down to speak quieter with a pretty smile on his face. "That makes us friends. And friends help each other, right?"

"Oh, hell."


	44. Chapter 44

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, Asta as well as the demons and descendents that I introduce.

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium does exist in London. I claim no ownership and have no idea how it works, I just thought that it was cool and fitting for this story.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty Four

Undertaker opened the door leading into the living area from the shop and slid off the heavy robing that was as much a part of his identity as his name. Hanging the black length and trailing hat on the back of the door was mechanical, something he did without thinking, leaving his mind to wander. He remembered that Serena had been inside this space and he wondered what she had thought of his current residence. Did she see what she had expected to see, or did she see through the lie? Did she see that it was a front, something to remind him of the part he was supposed to play for the rest of the world? Did she see the wish that he could be a simple funeral director or even a simple reaper? Could she tell that he wanted no part of the viscous politics and battles that came with being close to his father?

His feet took him to the table that held the pictures and portraits he had kept throughout his long life. The only possessions that he truly had. Each had meant something, each had touched some part of him throughout the years. Some good, some bad. And for each of them, he was the only one to remember anymore.

The picture of Vincent and a child Ciel caught his attention. He wasn't the only one to remember these two as they were, as they would never be again. The urge to smash the glass, all of them was almost overwhelming. Recognizing the familiar feeling, he set the frame down and moved away.

The wall that formed the small kitchen stopped him and he looked through the doorway to the small table and it's one chair. Loneliness was not something new and his eyes drew back to the pictures. They had the function of reminding him of why he didn't leave his shop much and the price he paid when he did. The price of getting close to humans with their short lifespans. But they burned so brightly and every few years the need for warmth would take over again. And soon, too soon after, another picture would join his collection.

Exhaustion pulled, jerked at his awareness as he slumped against the wall. Shaking his head to clear it, Aelius walked to his bedroom while thinking of the last time he had slept. It hadn't been that long ago, he should have been fine for days more. The battle with Jonathan and the emotional toll of seeing his father had drained everything he had. Seeing the Fallen always did.

The door was open, so he could stagger straight to the bed. He had always kept his door closed. No one came into his home. But, Serena had been in here. He could feel her essence just inside the doorway. It didn't come any further in and he wondered if she had been shocked by the space. In this one room he didn't have to lie, to anyone. He didn't have to put things up or act when he was anything but one of them and knew it. It hadn't always been like that. He didn't always understand that he was different than everyone else. Didn't always care that others saw him as different.

The thought ripped open the memories he kept suppressed as exhaustion sucked him under. He tried to fight it, knew what memory it would throw up, but the pull was too strong and he was lost.

*****************A Demon's Mate***************

Ciel saw a black shadow above him as he struggled to pull the hot air around him into his lungs. The familiar guise of his butler was gone and in it's place was the being he had seen so long ago when he was certain he was going to die. Black wings reached for the ceiling and the he heard the tinkling of metal chains as the demon knelt next to him.

"Lord Phantomhive." Thousands of voices coalesced into one called to him. "Lady Elizabeth will be most upset."

"Is...he?" His voice had almost no sound as he tried to speak.

The demon looked back to the body leaning against the wall. Blood covered the area behind the body and most of the head was missing from a single shot. A certain satisfaction welled within the demon and he smirked turning back.

"He's quite dead, as is his demon."

Ciel nodded, the movement causing pain throughout his body. The demon took his wrist and pulled the young man to lay on his side as coughs wracked his body.

********************A Demon's Mate****************

Serena blinked at the small cat that meowed at her through the window of the building Lucifer had led her to. The pretty calico watched them both as the red head turned back to the Fallen.

"Where are we?"

"Lady Dinah's. I thought that you might share your mate's love of felines."

"I told him that wasn't a big secret."

Lucifer only smiled as he opened the outer door and waved her through.

"Don't you have to have a reservation to come here?" Serena asked as they stopped just inside the door.

"Oh, so you have seen it?" His smile turned into a smirk as he pushed her forward from a hand on her back. "Do you think that I cannot get one?"

"The snarky tone was unnecessary." She said under her breath as a smiling woman came up to them.

"Mr. Adams, welcome back. We have your table ready."

Serena stared back at the Fallen. "Really? I guess Sebastian isn't the only one who likes cats."

The smile stayed in place as he pushed Serena to follow the woman leading them through the cafe.

********************A Demon's Mate******************

It was a perfect day, he remembered that. Strange, he was always himself in this dream but now he stood apart and watched it happen. He could still feel everything as it happened. Clean air, heated by the summer sun but with the first bite of chill had filled his lungs as his mother followed him to the little place by the river that he had claimed as his own. No one else from the village ever came back into the forest this far. Not when the river ran its course next to the small settlement. There was no need to venture this deep when game could be found in the thinner trees and grain grown in the fields and water from further downstream. It was deserted and his. Another world that no one saw but him. And now his mother.

Asta had looked around his secret place with a strange smile on her face. When asked, she had told him that she had wandered through the same trees when she had been young as well.

 _'Of course you would find this place.'_ Her fingers had passed over the rough bark of a tree in the center of the small clearing.

 _'Mother?'_

She had laughed. _'I met your father here.'_

 _'Really?'_

Asta had moved behind the tree and pointed a spot a little up the river. _'I had run here one night when I was upset with my mother and he was right there. I thought him the moon spirit bathed in it's light.'_

She came back around, leaving the shade of the tree's leaves to sit in the sun.

 _'What happened?'_

Asta pulled the boy down to sit with her and wrapped her arms around her son.

 _'He gave me a gift. A little moon spirit of my own.'_

Aelius remembered the feel of her hands as she had stroked his hair. The silver strands he shared with his father and no one else in their home possessed. The same color he found so rare throughout his travels of the world.

Exhaustion had pulled at him that day too. He had tried to fight it's pull, hard to do with the sun warming him and wrapped in his mother's arms. The softer her strokes through his hair became, the further his eyes had drifted close. One last rally and he tried to pull away.

 _'I can't sleep. Father's coming and you said that you would spend the day with me.'_

 _'I am here. And you should sleep before your father gets here. Right?'_

She had hummed as he cuddled back into her side, urging him to lay down in the sun's warmth. He still remembered the way the grasses had moved, bowing to the wind his father made as his feet touched the earth and large wings folded behind him. Aelius had tried to get up when a weight had slid over his body and his mother shifted. One of his father's large wings stretched over the three of them as he laid down on his son's other side. A larger hand and longer fingers, tipped with black nails like his own had taken over for his mother's and relaxed him into sleep.

As his mind went blank, he heard his mother's voice still humming.

Undertaker came back out of the memory with dread pooling in his stomach. His mind ran through dozens of meetings between his parents and one fact stuck out. One thing he had refused to see until it had been shoved in his face.

"He never touched her."

********************A Demon's Mate********************

"So, what do you want?" Serena asked the minute the waitress had left them.

"Straight to the point?" He seemed a little distracted as a small black cat came into the room and pawed at Serena's leg.

"It saves time." She smiled as she leaned back and let the cat jump into her lap.

Lucifer smiled and leaned forward in his chair.

"I want what you want."

The red head glared. "And what would that be?"

"You want me to spend time with my son and so do I. I just have a small problem with him wanting to spend time with me." He folded his hands on top of the table as he spoke, drawing her attention to gloves like Edwin and Lucien wore.

 _'I wonder if there is like a demon supply store. "All you need to blend in with the cattle".'_

Lucifer sighed in irritation as he noticed her attention waver. He snapped his fingers to bring her back to reality. "Could we focus?"

"Sorry."

"It's alright." He smirked, showing teeth. "I'm aware that I am quite distracting."

"Ugh. Do you cop that superior attitude when you're around him too? Because, that may be the reason he's not so excited when you show up."

The Fallen ignored her and forged onward as if she hadn't spoken.

"Last night was the first time he has ever let his venom down to listen to me." Lucifer shifted in his seat. "I admit that perhaps, I should have taken the direct approach from the beginning."

"You think?"

"Attitude is obviously not just my problem."

Serena glared at him as the woman returned and set a cup and saucer in front of each of them, as well as a tiered carousel with little sandwiches. Her glare shifted to the drink.

"Ugh, more tea." The cat in her lap put his paws on the table to sniff the cup's contents. After shaking it's head, the little cat jumped on the table and sniffed the food.

Lucifer smirked as she sneered at the cup. "Welcome to London."

Serena grabbed the cat from the table and settled it back in her lap. "So, what do you want from me?"

"Aelius listens to you." He settled his hands around the cup but made no move to drink any of it.

"What? You want me to tell him that you're not manipulative or full of yourself, with a snarky and superior attitude?"

"You've known me such a short time. There are many facets to my personality that you know nothing of. Besides, he seems to like people with that attitude."

Serena flinched, as he wanted. "You're right and your son has known you much longer than I have. I think that if he's going to listen to anyone about you I think that it would be himself."

"Lucky for me, talking not what I had in mind." There was something in his eyes that made Serena shiver and hold the little cat a little tighter as his eyes started to glow. "I'm sure that your mate would appreciate your working with me."

******************A Demon's Mate*****************

The demon currently named Sebastian watched the steady progression of death that he was intimately familiar with. He knew the steps of this dance better than most. Death had never been a bother to him, having caused unnumbered amounts of lives to end. Humans lived and then they died. Most of them, he was quite happy to end. There was a certain pleasure in being done with an enemy...or an idiot, as most humans were. He knew the gasping breath and shakes as the body tried to save itself, as organs fought to continue, the brain sending frantic signals to live.

An exceptional brain. The mind that struggled so hard to keep up with him, to surpass him. Something that would never happen. It wasn't just intelligence, which the young man below his hands had in spades. What set the demon apart was experience. Years upon years upon years of experience that Ciel could never hope to match in his short, human lifetime.

His fingers followed his thoughts and brushed the fragile skin of his former master's forehead. Impeccably cared for skin, cared for by himself, was soft under his fingers as he trailed down to the eye that use to carry his mark. The despair that had once filled those eyes was long gone. Slowly, the fire that had blazed, keeping the young lord going through pain and death and loneliness was dimming out for himself.

He shook his head, looking at the young man's soul that was still as bright as ever. There was nothing he or anyone else could do to dim that light. His choice had been made years ago, when he choose to save himself rather than fade away quietly. To see the world as it was and to exterminate the evil that he could. It was a small effort, he could say that it was for the queen but the demon knew, it was for himself. Some small attempt to stem the screaming in him own head, but the result was the same. Lord Phantomhive's work for the queen had put him a position to deal with evil and save the lives of humans. Something that was always smiled upon in the cosmic way of things, regardless of the reason.

His fingers moved to lay over the sputtering heart, trying so hard to pump blood and oxygen that it wasn't getting to the rest of the body.

There would be no offer this time as the body struggled to live and failed. The demon had learned his lesson well and there was nothing else that the human wanted.

There would be regrets, things that hadn't been accomplished or taken care of. A family name that would disappear and a fiancé that would be heartbroken by a funeral instead of a wedding. But none of those was enough. The allure of life had faded long ago.

There was nothing to be said as each waited for the ending of their relationship.

The demon didn't know why he couldn't walk away, there was nothing to be done and no reason to wait for the soul to be released. His fingers moved to the human's throat. It would be easy to speed this process up, to make death come sooner and possibly easier. There was no fear in blue eyes as the nails moved softly over sensitive skin, fragile bone and flesh. But still, he pulled back and rested his hand gently over the heart again as a beat was missed completely. There was no need.

"Goodbye, Lord Phantomhive."

Awareness slipped out of the blue eyes staring at him as the chest took one last breath and stilled.

Not quite understanding the feeling in his chest the demon stood from beside the corpse. "Goodbye Ciel."

*****************A Demon's Mate**************

Undertaker heard the bell over the door of the shop ring and set down the wood he was working with. Picking up the nearby cloth, he wiped his hands and headed through the door to the main shop.

The reaper stopped at the red head standing just inside the door. Serena looked around the shop as if she had never seen it before, focusing on anything else. Her hands fidgeted with the bottom of her shirt, betraying the nerves she was feeling.

"I figured that you would be on your way to America by now."

"I wasn't ready to leave yet." She moved over to the wall of urns, still not looking at him. "You never told me what happened to the others."

"The others?"

"The servants."

Undertaker blinked at her for a moment. "Lord Phantomhive provided a generous living for each of them. He gave them one of his properties in the country that wasn't entailed in the estate and more than enough funds to live comfortably. Tanaka took his annuity and stayed close to his daughter and her family in London. The others stayed together for the rest of their lives. Finian retained his child-like personality and was a beloved uncle to Bard and Mei-Rin's children."

"Mei-Rin and Bard got married?"

Undertaker nodded with a smile of his own. "That was interesting to watch. Snake stayed with them for a while before striking out on his own. Lady Elizabeth offered him a place with her household but he turned it down, still self-conscious of his appearance. He took to traveling, something that he found he had missed, only a few years after Lord Phantomhive's passing. He did come back every few years though. I believe part of the reason was that they all kept their ears open for any whisper of a perfect butler in black. Mei-Rin insisted on keeping a room for Mr. Butler in case they ever found him."

"So, they never figured out that he wasn't human?"

"Your mate is quite good at fooling humans. They don't want to think that there is anything else but themselves at the top of the food chain. It was a bit harder when humans were ruled by superstition, but in this age of enlightenment and science..." He let the sentence drift as Serena nodded quickly.

"I was the same. So convinced that the stories I like to read or shows that I like to watch were nothing but someone's incredible imagination."

"So why did you really come, Serena? Your mate could have told you all this. He set a guard on the family before moving on." Undertaker moved to sit on the top of a display coffin.

"Well, he seems to be a little busy right now." The red head stared at the wall of urns.

"True, but this information was vital to your survival?"

"I do care what happened to them." She glared at him for a second before turning away quickly.

"I never said that you didn't." Undertaker looked to the door. "Why is my father outside?"

The red head flinched and hunched in on herself a bit. "He came with me."

"I see."

Serena reached up to a stone on the shelf. It was exactly as described. Beautiful in it's deep purple color with swirls of something other that seemed to pulse with a heartbeat. It was only thought to be decoration the first time she had noticed it. Only a few knew the stone carried another purpose. Such a rare piece, it had never been named. Only a few in the history of time had seen or touched one. Unless they came into a certain funeral parlor to look at arrangements for a loved one.

It shattered easily as it hit the floor and purple turned black and useless. No longer holding the power to keep the Fallen from walking into his home.

"Ah, thank you Serena." Lucifer smiled easily as he moved through the door. "I believe that Edwin is waiting outside for you."

"I'm staying."

Both men looked at Serena as she stepped away from the wall and stood a little taller.

"Oh, I see." Lucifer smiled. "You're trying to make up for the fact that you betrayed my son by getting rid of one of his most valuable protections and inviting me in."

Serena flinched again and looked at the floor.

"Stop it." Undertaker blocked his father's view of the red head. "I know what you're doing. I'm the one that says if I was betrayed at all and I wasn't. I'm sure there is some kind of threat or twisted logic involved. There always is."

The Fallen's smiled dimmed a little but he shrugged and walked around the little shop.

Aelius watched his father move around the sales area and remembered countless meetings and ensuing arguments. Remembered when he allowed people close to him and how his father had found a way to use every single one of them.

"You just don't get it. You don't understand how to do anything that doesn't include maneuvering people where you want them to be. That doesn't make them do something that they don't want to do simply because you want them to do it. You can't see any other way. You want me to be mad at her. To see that humans are weak creatures that will throw away anyone to save themselves. Fine, I already know that, but I would never have pitted Serena against you to begin with. I would expect her to throw me at you instead. I have a better chance of walking away with my throat intact."

Lucifer stopped his perusal to stare. "You say that as if you believe that I would attack my own son."

"If I didn't fit into your plans, if I hadn't been good enough to protect myself, I'm not sure that you wouldn't."

"So, this is what you think of me."

His voice was quiet, still watching for the smallest movement from the other man. "I don't know what to think of you."

"Not always." The Fallen raised an eyebrow. "I remember a time that you were happy to see me."

"I'm not so naïve now."

Lucifer stood up straighter and Undertaker knew that he had hit a nerve.

"And here I thought you would be more willing to speak to me."

"Perhaps I would have been. If you hadn't pushed Serena into the middle of it. Like you always do. You always want me to be angry at someone else."

The red head looked at him, strangely hopeful that she wasn't going to lose her friend over this.

"I don't understand why you are holding onto her." Lucifer's eyes narrowed as he came forward. "She's chosen her demon. You will get nothing from her. She'll leave soon, hours from now."

"Like all humans will. So, I shouldn't get close to any of them." He stopped for a moment. "But, you'll still be there. Right?"

Lucifer smiled as his son finally understood. "I have long told you that I would be here. If you would come with me, you would never be alone."

Aelius nodded. "Unless you were in the middle of one of your long-reaching plots, or there is some war going on between the Fallen. Or Regina needs something. Then I would still be alone."

"I admit, I do have several responsibilities."

"So, I would be better off taking care of myself. As I have been doing for centuries." Undertaker smirked.

Lucifer waved to the scars that could be seen. "And what a wonderful job you've done so far. Scarred and surrounded by people that would just as soon see you dead if they knew who you were."

"They would not." Serena came forward but Undertaker didn't bother to look back.

"Some would. The same as some of the Fallen and demons would. It really doesn't matter where I go."

Lucifer's mood was quickly falling and Serena could see it just as well as Undertaker. The Fallen's jaw worked to hold words in while he thought of his next move.

He took a breath they could both see and spoke quietly. "I could protect you."

"I'm not a child."

"No, you were much more agreeable as a child."

"Then why are you here? If I irritate you so much."

"Because you're my son!" Lucifer's temper finally erupted as the tempered glow around himself became brighter than the sun.

Undertaker pulled Serena behind him as wind started to blow through the shop. Urns and small pieces flew around the room. Just as suddenly as it started, the storm stopped and pieces fell to the floor as Lucifer calmed himself.

The door opened, causing each to turn and glare at whoever had the misfortune to be coming through at the time. Edwin stopped just inside the door and quickly took stock of the room. He bowed to the Fallen and started edging around the room to his Elder's mate.

"My lady, we need to leave for our flight."

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving."

"I want you to leave."

Serena jerked as Undertaker pulled her from behind him and gave her a gentle shove to where Edwin was coming around the side of the small room.

"What?"

"I don't want you at my back either." He looked at her and Serena could see his eyes for a moment. "I'm not your first priority and that's okay. I know that. But, it makes you a liability with my father around."

"My lady." Edwin pulled gently but tightened his hand when Serena tried to jerk away.

"Let me go."

"I cannot. The Elder has given his orders and they override yours."

"But..."

"Go," Undertaker gave her a little smirk. "He doesn't scare me."

Edwin didn't miss a step as he opened the door and pulled her outside. Lucifer and Undertaker were staring at each other, forgetting the demon and his human burden, as the door shut. She heard the sharp click of a lock as she was pushed into the car that waited on the curb.

******************A Demon's Mate******************

Serena could feel Edwin's power crawling over her skin as they moved easily around the crowds, through check in and breezed past security. People either stayed out of their way or hurried to help when the demon gestured for them. Each seemed to know in some instinctive way that Edwin wasn't to be disobeyed.

Anytime that Edwin had to interact with people, Lucien would step up on her other side to take her arm when his partner let go. Neither was willing to listen whenever she tried to reason with them. By the time they were shown into the clubhouse to wait, Serena had given up trying to take her arm back or talk to either of them.

"When storms rage, a smart mouse finds a hole to hide in."

It was all Edwin had said to her after pulling her out of Undertaker's shop. Lucien had tried to be his charming self, but he wasn't giving into her either. It was the blonde that had pulled her phone out of her hand when she tried to call the parlor and stowed it easily into his pocket.

When the boarding announcement came, they were the first on the plane and seating just happened to put three of them on one side again and the few others in Upper Class on the other. Serena was again put between the two of them but there was no playful bickering between the two demons this time, no light flirting from Lucien. As soon as they were in the air, she dove into the movies and ignored them both.

Not long into their flight, Serena felt a shadow lean over her and flinched. She still refused to look up though.

Edwin pulled the earbud out, prepared for the angry strike from the red head and shoved a phone in her hands before she could get another shot.

Serena looked at the unfamiliar number for a moment before lifting the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Serena." Undertaker's giggling voice came over the line. "Haven't you figured out by now that hitting a demon won't get you very far?"

Her hand tightened on the phone. "Are you okay?"

"You make it sound as if I am incapable of defending myself."

"It's not that."

"I know. I told you not to worry. He's already left."

Serena still felt someone leaning over her and looked up to see Lucien. "Do you mind? I know that you can still overhear but I would like some illusion of privacy."

The demon raised his hands at the venom in her voice before disappearing below the wall between them.

"Thank you." She said before turning back to the phone. "What did he want?"

"Don't worry about that. Are you already on the plane?"

"We're already in the air."

"Good. Aren't you excited to be going home?"

Serena was quiet, hunching over the phone and wishing that there was privacy that she wasn't going to get. Her voice was harsh when it finally came out. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Serena. My father admitted that he threatened your demon. For an modern woman, you're learning a rather savage lesson. You've never been under the rule of a king or queen. You have people in charge but they don't own you. You don't understand what it means to obey or die, that sometimes, there is no other option." It was quiet for a moment. "I'd rather you obeyed."

"It wasn't just that." Serena tried to find the right words. "There was something in his face, in his eyes when he talked about you."

"Don't, Serena. Don't ever trust that. No one ever sees Lucifer's truth. I'm not certain even Regina sees what he's really thinking. My father has had untold millennia of experience manipulating what people see, what they think. If you saw something in him, it was because he wanted you to see it."

"You honestly don't think that your father cares what happens to you?"

A sigh came over the line. "I'm sure he does, in some way. And there's another lesson for you in this. My father said it himself, he has several responsibilities, as most people do. Several factions, demons, people that he has to balance, just like everyone else does. Unless you're a hermit who only looks after yourself, there will sometimes be someone or something that is more important, that must be taken care of first."

"So, it's better to believe that you're never first?"

"With my father, it is. There is always another motive for him, always another reason. One does not survive so long, nor rule a world unto itself, without the ability to make people see what you want them to see. All the different peoples that look to you. For that, multiple motives and manipulations are necessary for survival."

She was quiet for a moment, thinking about what he had said. "If you know that, why are you so angry with him?"

Miles in the air, an ocean beneath her and moving farther away, Serena could still feel the flinch through the phone.

"I see that my introspection has backfired on me." He said softly with a laugh. "And there is no answer that I can give you."

"Can't? Or no answer that you're willing to say?"

"You are not nearly as subtle as others we both know. However, I will give you that point. And with that, I'm going to end our conversation here."

"Why?"

"There isn't time."

"I have hours on a plane with nothing to do."

Laughing came over the line. "That doesn't mean that I don't have things of my own to do. I was working on something before you and my father burst in here and disrupted my schedule."

"Oh, right." Serena laughed sheepishly. "Sorry."

"That's right. You should feel guilty. My entire day was interrupted because you just couldn't go back home without seeing me one last time." Giggling came over the line. "I'm quite flattered."

A blush burned up her face and Serena had a feeling that Undertaker knew it. "It's not like that!"

The red head looked around and saw the rest of the plane had stopped to look at her. Her blush deepened and she huddled into her seat trying to ignore the people around her, as well as the laughing coming out of the phone.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't." She could hear the giggle in his voice. "You love me."

"I don't know why."

"Oh, you admit it. Should I have stopped Edwin from whisking you away?"

"I..." Serena stopped as the phone was pulled out of her hand. "What the hell?"

"Goodbye." Lucien said as he ended the call and handed the phone back to Edwin who was standing in the aisle. Turning back to Serena, the demon held out her earbuds and pressed play on the screen in front of her with a smile. "We still have about six hours before we land."

Serena kept glaring as the blonde disappeared behind the wall separating their seats.


	45. Chapter 45

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty Five

Serena walked slowly through the busy airport sandwiched between Lucien and Edwin. Exhaustion was setting in as the she noticed the demons shorten their strides again to stay with her. Still, she had a feeling it was more emotional exhaustion than any lack of sleep.

The red head tried to remember the last time anything had been simple and realized that the last few weeks of her life had been overrun with high excitement and high stress.

 _'Note to self; never wish for something to happen.'_ Her steps slowed further. _'Now, it's over and I'm back home. And nothing's changed. Or, has everything changed? I don't even know anymore.'_

"My lady?"

Lucien put a hand on her arm and Serena realized that she had stopped in the middle of the walkway and was staring at the floor. She looked up when she saw that he was talking but she wasn't hearing a word. Edwin came up behind the other demon, staring at her.

"Sorry."

Edwin pulled her to the side of the walkway as a family was passing them.

"I'm sorry." A hand dove through her hair and wanted to pull. "I'm sorry you have to watch me because I can't stay out of anyone's business and I keep falling into trouble. Which if you knew my life before I met Sebastian, it was downright boring. I don't know why I keep finding this shit, or maybe why I can't stay away from it. I don't know why I believed him or why I thought that running into a forest in the middle of the night around a house that was always under attack was a good idea. And I don't know where we're going. Because I don't even know where my mother is right now, I didn't call to tell her that we were coming in and she probably would've forgotten anyway. And I guess it really doesn't matter because there is no way that she would be okay with you two staying there."

"You forget that the Elder has had a century to wait for you. He already has a home prepared for your use." Edwin nodded and turned as the problem was solved.

Serena burst into tears. Both demons stood shocked for a moment before crowding around her and keeping passerby from seeing the redhead. No one should see an Elder's mate so vulnerable.

"Emotional overload." Lucien put a hand on her back and settled in to wait.

"What are you talking about?" Edwin was watching the passing crowds, warning all to keep going.

"Don't tell me that you can't see it." Lucien waved a hand at the red head. "She's one giant ball of emotion. She's exuding it. She's just calling for a feeding."

"Don't you even think about it." He moved to step between Lucien and Serena.

"Pain's not my thing. You know that." Lucien waved the other demon off. "Just as you know what I mean. Places of transit are no demon's territory. We need to get her out of here before some stupid, young demon thinks she's too delicious to ignore."

"I agree." Edwin looked around before sighing. "You start moving her toward the doors. I'll get the car out of parking."

Lucien nodded. "Hurry."

The other demon took off, moving fast enough the humans around them never noticed him. Lucien leaned down and slid an arm around Serena. He started walking, letting her bury her head in his jacket to block out the rest of the crowd. There were still far too many people that stopped to look at them or followed the pair with their eyes toward the exit. They should have thought this through more. Edwin was good at intimidating humans. Lucien was good at drawing them in. He couldn't use his power to make humans look that other way, as a demon that fed on lust, he basked in human attention. Sought it out and fostered it without remorse. He didn't know how to make them go away.

Pushing through the doors, Lucien breathed a sigh of relief when Edwin opened the back door of the SUV they had stored in long-term parking before heading out for Tokyo at the beginning of this mess. Untangling Serena took a few minutes more as the redhead was still mid-meltdown and clinging to his jacket. Finally, Lucien slid into the seat beside her and closed the door.

"Damn it." Edwin looked into the rear-view mirror as he slid into the driver's seat.

"What?"

"Luggage."

Lucien looked down at the red head and sighed. "Get us out of here and go back for it."

Edwin nodded and pulled out with one eye still watching the girl in the backseat. Slowly, the sniffling stopped as they moved around the outskirts of town and headed for the mountains. Traffic slowly branched off, each vehicle exiting to their own destination. Edwin watched them and wondered for a moment were any of them having as many problems as they were.

 _'Of course some of them are. Humans love conflict and problems.'_ The demon snorted at his own thoughts and turned his attention back toward the road.

In the backseat, Lucien took a deep breath and shifted to lay Serena across the seat. Moving easily, he slid into the front and leaned his head against the back of his seat.

"You have no idea how hard that was."

Edwin raised an eyebrow.

"As I said, pain doesn't really attract me, but she'd be delicious." The blonde shook his head. "I do not envy the Elder spending eternity with a soul that you would love to feed from."

Edwin's hand tightened on the wheel. "She isn't filled with wrath."

"She doesn't need to indulge in a specific sin. Calm pulses her even more when she's upset, like an exotic spice. It's...interesting and problematic at the same time. It almost makes me wish Emily was so dynamic." Lucien shrugged. "Of course, I wouldn't want to deal with trying to keep Serena in line. Good luck to the Elder is all I can say."

"I think both of you should not complain." The other demon's voice was harsh when the words finally made it past his lips.

Lucien opened his mouth but snapped it shut again before turning away. "Forgive me, my friend. I didn't think."

The vehicle made no noise as it coasted gently to a stop on the side of the small highway leading into the mountains. Edwin threw the engine in park as Lucien watched him confused.

"Edwin?"

"You drive." He jerked the door open and slid out onto the road.

Lucien jumped out and hurried around the vehicle, keeping his senses on the area around them. "What?"

"I will meet you there." He all but threw his partner into the driver's seat and shut the door.

"Edwin..."

******************A Demon's Mate******************

Edwin watched the taillights of the SUV fade into night before turning the other direction. He barely felt the wind as he ran for the familiar pull of power. Humans saw nothing, heard nothing. He was the wind blowing through the night, but there was none of the normal amusement that he always enjoyed from the state.

He dodged trees and kept away from the roads as much as possible. The wall of the estate he was looking for loomed in front of him and the demon was up and over in a single leap. The mansion was dark, the only light coming from a single room on the upper level. Edwin kept to the shadows waiting for the Elder to acknowledge him. He wouldn't be happy that Edwin was here instead, but it couldn't be avoided. He couldn't risk starting a fight with Lucien like he wanted to.

"Where is my mate?"

Edwin jumped at the voice that appeared beside him. He bowed automatically, trying to ignore the anger he could see in the Elder's stance.

"The other two are taking her to the house. They should arrive shortly."

"You are not with them why?"

Edwin closed his eyes as he forced the words out. "I...I am more of a liability at the moment."

Aiden smirked. "I don't think that you have ever been a liability. Even as a human."

The Elder shifted, walking closer. Edwin waited as the other demon moved around him, feeling his power push at him, sliding through the holes in his defenses. He didn't possess the power to keep his Elder out and chose to lower his control to make it easier for both of them.

"There is anger in you. Anger, I have felt building in you for quite some time." Aiden peered at his underling with swirling, red eyes. "I have wondered what causes it."

Edwin said nothing, only shook his head. The Elder slid the glove from his hand and laid his fingers on the other demon's cheek. Slowly, fingers trailed down Edwin's throat before resting in the center of his chest, cloth rippling away at will to leave smooth skin.

The Elder leaned over, whispering in the other demon's ear.

"What angers you, Edwin?" Power flowed from his voice, wrapping around the other demon. "Tell me."

There really wasn't a need to push hard. Everything was rising inside, straining to get out. "Why? Why him? Lucien's an idiot. I'm older than him, stronger."

"Ah. I see." The Elder waited, but nothing more came from Edwin. "You could take Emily from him. Being older and stronger."

Edwin's eye squeezed closed, every muscle in his body clenching and releasing. "I want to."

The Elder's power cut off in an instant, leaving Edwin adrift in a sea of his own anger with no anchor. His mind finally caught up to the words that had come from his mouth. The secret that he had spoken while under the Elder's sway. Knees buckled and the demon slumped to the ground, waiting for the judgment he knew would come.

There was nothing more important to demons than their mate. Edwin had essentially threatened the mate of a loyal member of the Elder's family. No Elder could not look away from that, even for another loyal member. And no other family would take him after such a threat. His only options would be death or a return to the Pit.

 _'I'd rather die.'_ Edwin breathed in the quiet of the night as he waited.

"What to do with you."

He looked up and saw the Elder had moved away. The older demon stood in front of him with his arms crossed as he considered the situation. "I'll die before going back to the Pit."

"Neither was what I had in mind." Edwin's head shot up as the Elder continued. "I used to think the same thing, when Lucien first brought Emily back."

"It wouldn't work. I know that."

"As I did." The Elder nodded with a grave expression. "I will however inform Lucien of the threat you pose. When we return, you will keep your distance from Emily or I will drop you back in the Pit before you can blink."

Edwin nodded, not moving from his place on the ground. "But, you cannot leave me with your own mate either."

"Do you wish to die so badly?" The Elder smirked. "You never once mentioned Serena. She's too much for you, while Emily is far more submissive. Easier to handle, easier to steal away. You're still a soldier and will always go for the objective most likely to give you what you want with the least amount of loss. But more than that, Emily has your attention because you have been around her for centuries. You have watched the two of them for centuries and you've been with Lucien almost from the beginning. What drives you has festered for some time. Perhaps, you could benefit from some separation after this is over."

Edwin nodded.

"You are familiar with the London area. Haagenti may have need of someone to oversee his territory while he returns to his home. I will contact him."

 _'Banishment it is.'_ "Thank you, Elder."

The Elder nodded. "Now, I believe that you still have a task from me to complete."

"Yes, Elder." Edwin stood, bowing to the other demon.

Both demons looked to the house as a sound, far too quiet for a human's ears came from the upstairs.

"He likes to bleed them out?"

"Hmm, he's quite fascinated by the death he believes they deserve."

Edwin shook his head. "I believe that you will be busy very shortly. Does he know?"

"No. My master has yet to realize that his wrath is mostly directed at himself, as well as the woman that he believes turned him into such a thing." Aiden brushed imaginary lint from his sleeve. "It doesn't matter. He'll see his mistake soon enough and the evil of his soul will give me strength for quite some time."

"I will return to your mate, Elder."

The Elder waved him off. "Go, and keep me informed of Serena's movements."

Edwin bowed once more and slid into the shadows surrounding the estate before disappearing into the night. Aiden looked up at the window again and shook his head as the last breath of his master's latest lover echoed through the dark.

"Honestly, as if I didn't have enough to do."

******************A Demon's Mate*****************

The little house was quiet when Edwin stopped just outside. No lights were on and the demon could feel Serena still sleeping deeply. She would probably be out until morning.

 _'One can hope...I'm sure she'll find her next disaster easily enough.'_

Movement on the front porch drew his attention and Edwin held back a sneer at the black cat that jumped to the railing. Night-glowing eyes watched him carefully as Edwin walked forward and came up the small set of stairs leading to the porch. As he opened the door, the cat jumped from the railing and disappeared into the night.

Lucien sat on the couch, blue eyes shifting to Edwin as he set the bags in his hands down and closed the door behind him. Neither said anything as Edwin checked through the house for himself, even though he knew Lucien had already done so. Each window and door was tested, Serena checked on and wards reinforced before he came back to the sitting room.

The blonde didn't say a word as his partner settled himself into the chair opposite him.

"Serena hasn't woken up since we parted."

Edwin nodded, waited for the rest of the conversation that he knew was coming.

"The Elder called, shortly before you came back." Lucien stared at his friend with a smirk. "As I told him, I already know."

Edwin's head shot up to see Lucien shaking his head.

"Why do you think I never leave you and Emily alone? Why I only come up to feed with you? Why I always take assignments from the Elder with you?" Lucien leaned forward and put a hand on his partner's shoulder. "We've known each other since that damned Pit. The Elder, you and me, we've been together for so long. Do you think either of us are oblivious to the changes in you?"

Edwin had nothing to say as Lucien dropped his hand. "Though, I will also admit that I sometimes forget that you had no experience with being alone when you were human. You were always with family or your men. When we joined the Elder, it was the three of us. Even when others joined our family, it was the three of us. It changed when I found Emily. And now, the Elder has Serena."

Edwin nodded. "Change in an endless existence. It started with you and sometimes, I hate you for it."

"Sometimes, I hate you too." Lucien sighed as he leaned back into the couch. "I've tried to leave my human family behind for centuries but, with you around, they're never far away. You're everything that they wanted and you're more useful to the Elder than I am for the same reason. But, I have something you don't and I admit that I rubbed it in your face from time to time."

A curse slipped past Edwin's lips and Lucien laughed softly.

"Perhaps the Elder's right to talk to Lord Haagenti. It'll give you more time in the human world, anyway." He stopped for a moment. "And I don't remember a time when you weren't there."

"When I wasn't there to bail you out?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Right." Lucien threw an arm around the bigger man and pulled him forward until their forehead's touched. Edwin slipped his own around his friend.

"You realize, that will leave you alone as the Elder's trusted. At his and his mate's beck and call."

"Oh, damn it." Lucien threw himself back against the couch and covered his eyes. "He's going to have me doing everything."

A noise outside caused both to look out the nearest window.

"Teo will re-introduce himself to Serena tomorrow." Lucien looked outside and recognized a familiar silhouette moving through the trees. Shaking his head, the blonde pulled Serena's phone out of his pocket. "Knox called while you were gone. He wasn't aware that Serena had left London already."

"Hopefully, we will not have to deal with reapers here."

Lucien laughed. "If anyone could find a reaper, it'd be Serena."

*************A Demon's Mate***************

Serena woke to the sun on her face and rolled over in the bed. Her eyes opened and the red head sat up quickly. Everything about the room was unfamiliar, from the cloud-soft bed to the light blue painted walls. The bed, dresser, and seat by the window were all white with dark blue pillows and throws scattered around. For the most, the room was blank. On the table beside the bed, a lamp sat with a small crystal cat.

The red head laughed as she looked at the crystal piece certain who had put it there. Everything died away when she remembered last night. Serena put her head in her hands and wished that she could slink away and disappear.

A knock on the door made her jump a little.

"Would you like breakfast, my lady?" Edwin's voice was clear through the wood.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

Serena slipped out of the bed and realized she was still in the jeans and t-shirt that she had worn yesterday. Looking around, she tried to find her clothes but there were no suitcases in the room. She finally gave up and went to the door.

Lucien was the first one in her line of sight.

"Lucien."

"Do you need something?"

"Where are my suitcases?"

"Oh, one minute." He disappeared and then came back holding her bags. "I didn't want to bring them in last night. I was afraid that you would wake up."

Serena winced. "And have another breakdown."

"Don't worry about it." He set the bags down with a smile and pointed to another door across the room. "That leads to the bathroom. And the other is a small closet."

"Great, I'd kill for a shower."

"Do you need help with anything else?" He asked with a sly smile.

"Lucien!" Edwin's voice shouted from the other room.

The blonde smiled and slipped out the door.

Shaking her head, Serena grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. She stopped dead just inside the door. The blue and white theme was carried into the room with the pretty glass tiles in the shower and the white cabinet that held the sink. But, the center of the room was dominated by a large copper tub big enough for two, maybe three.

"Holy shit!"

Edwin and Lucien rushed the room, the soldier in first. Between the three of them, there wasn't any room to breathe in the small room. Both of them were scanning the room, looking for any threat.

"What happened?" Lucien came up to her first as Edwin was looking behind the curtains and checking the window locks.

"What is that?" She pointed to the tub.

"It's a tub."

"It's copper."

Lucien smiled. "Copper holds the heat better than porcelain or acrylic. It can keep the water hot for hours."

She went forward with her hand out and ran it along the shining, hammered edge.

"Later." Serena sighed and turned around to shove the demons from the room. "Alright, thank you for running but I really need a shower."

********************A Demon's Mate****************

Freshly scrubbed and dressed, Serena came out of the bedroom and stopped to stare at the rest of the house. She walked straight into the living room and saw the kitchen through the open concept layout. A stone fireplace went to the ceiling and was flanked by a wall of windows on either side, giving a great view of trees that surrounded them and a lake beyond.

A set of double doors was built into the windows to lead onto the deck. Wicker furniture set with pretty, pastel colored cushions beckoned someone to sit and enjoy the day in the peace. Resisting the urge, Serena went back inside to explore the little cottage. The beams on the ceiling had been stained a dark color to contrast nicely with the white ceiling and match the original floors that had been stained the same color.

In the kitchen, she was surprised to see Edwin cooking. Lucien leaned against the white cabinets with a smile as he waved her over to sit at the island. Dark stained butcher block gleamed under the pendant lights overhead.

"So, how do you like the house so far?" Lucien asked as he laid a full plate in front of her.

"It's beautiful." Serena took a bite of eggs. "I didn't know you could cook."

"The Elder taught both of us when it was clear that we would be watching over you." Edwin turned after sliding a pan into the sink that was already full of water.

"Edwin's a lot better at it than I am." The blonde leaned on the counter with a sheepish smile. "We'll take you for a full tour when you're done."

"I thought you would just..." Serena waved her hands around like she was making something appear.

"The Elder didn't want you to be fed using another demon's power."

"Could that actually do anything to me?"

"I do not believe so." Edwin shrugged as he dried the pan he had used. "But, I don't see any harm doing it this way either."

Both of them watched as she took another bite.

"Could you not do that?"

"Why?"

"Would you like someone watching you eat?"

Lucien smirked as he leaned closer, his eyes glowing. "I wouldn't mind."

Edwin leaned over and smacked his partner harder than Serena had seen before. "I see your point, my lady."

The two found things to do while she hurried through the rest of breakfast. After pushing the plate away, Edwin was quick to whisk it away.

"Now then, we still have a little tour to go on." Lucien helped her off the stool. "You've already seen the living room, kitchen and deck. Did you take a minute to look around the bedroom?"

"Yes." She followed behind as he led her to another door off the living room.

"There is a guest bathroom here." He opened a door to a small bathroom with a shower only that was decorated in white bead board and a soft green. In the shower, she could see soap and a bottle that she guessed was shampoo. "Edwin and I use this one."

Closing the door, he led her to another set of doors that looked like they led to the deck. Opening the doors with a flourish, Lucien stood back and waited for her to go inside. Watching both demons' reactions, Serena stepped forward carefully.

The room was nothing but windows. Three easels were set up in the center of the room, with a little table that could be moved to wherever she wanted. The bare wood floor had been sealed to protect against stains so she didn't have to worry about putting clothes down. Lucien waved her over to another door that should have led back into the house and opened it with a smile. The room was closed off, no windows but she could see a vent in the floor for climate control. Shelves lined each of the three walls and were filled with paints of every color she could imagine, oils and acrylic. Brushes, charcoals and pencils were lined up in little bins according to bristle size, hardness and type. Canvas in different sizes were shelved together on the bottom and sketchbooks filled the shelf above them.

"I take it you approve?" Edwin graced her with one of his rare smiles at her excitement.

"It's amazing. Everything is stored perfectly and there's everything that I could need." She took a look at the room's contents again. "He knows what my favorite mediums are."

"Did you think that he wasn't watching you the whole time? That the Elder wasn't taking note of your preferences throughout all the stages of your life?" Edwin stayed outside the room as there simply wasn't enough space for all three of them in the small room.

"Well, yeah. But..." Serena turned back to the supplies.

"There is also a private path to the lake and a private dock for your use." Lucien smiled as he left the room and waved her out.

"But..."

"It's not going anywhere. You can play in here for hours later." The blonde pulled her out of the room and shut the door as she whined.

"Besides," Edwin looked toward the door. "It seems that we have a guest."

"What? Who knows that we're here? Who even knows where 'here' is?" Serena tried to see out the window but couldn't see anyone.

Lucien moved across the living room to the small entryway. As he opened the door, Serena crept up behind him to peek around the demon. A young man stood at the door with a smile. He blue shirt was perfectly tucked into perfectly pressed khaki pants. Large glasses covered almost half his face. There was nothing really noteworthy about his appearance from the medium brown hair to his matching eyes.

"Michael?" The red head moved around Lucien. "What are you doing here?"

"You know him?" Edwin came up behind her.

"Yeah. He's in some of my classes..." She trailed off as she looked closer.

There was something about him that was so familiar. It wasn't in the looks, it was the stance, the attitude that radiated from him. She had never noticed it before, so why was it bothering her now? Something started to change as she looked at him. A smirk came over his face as he pulled off his glasses and his cheekbones shifted a little. Piercings appeared that hadn't been there when she had first looked and the hair lengthened, style changing.

"Teo!" Serena shoved Lucien out of the way to pull the other demon into a hug. "I can't believe that's you. How did you do that?"

"There are some demons that excel at taking on another's appearance." Edwin explained as she pulled Teo into the house.

"I can't believe that you're Michael. He's such a dork." Serena stopped in the living room and sunk into the plush couch while Lucien and Edwin took up places behind her. Teo took over the over-sized chair, looking at the white furniture with a sneer in his goth clothes that she remembered from Tokyo.

"Why did you run away from me?"

"I wasn't supposed to talk to you at all. I could see you about give up and figured that I had to do something." He leaned his head to rest on his hand. "You wouldn't believe the amount of trouble I got in over that."

"But why?"

"Gusion, who is the Elder of Tokyo, was unhappy with having to let another house's demon into his city. He laid down strict guidelines about what I could do or not do while in his city. One of those was that I was not to approach you at all. He ordered his demons to do the same. There was always someone watching you though."

Serena thought for a moment before shaking her head. "That's creepy."

"It was supposed to be reassuring." Teo smirked. "I thought you would be grateful after the events of our first meeting."

"I do appreciate the thought, but it's creepy."

Edwin leaned over. "What do you think we're doing?"

"Yeah, but at least I know you're there. I had no idea that I was being followed before." The red head turned back to see Teo fighting not to laugh.

"I heard that you haven't seen the lake yet." Teo stood up. "Why don't we do that now? The Elder was quite proud of the area in which he built. I'm sure he wants us to show it off."

"Okay." She stood as well, obviously not understanding.

Edwin and Lucien started to follow out onto the deck before Teo turned around. "I got this."

Both looked as if they wanted to argue.

"It's alright." Serena started out the door. "I still want to know why you didn't just be yourself during classes. It's an arts college."

"I like being someone else." He said closing the door behind himself.

"But why did you choose to be such a dork?"

The demons left behind watched Teo lead Serena down the stairs at the other side of the deck before looking at each other.

"I don't like this." Lucien waited for the spot of red to appear again on the path before looking to see Edwin's nod.

****************A Demon's Mate****************

Trees hung over the path on either side in a perfect frame and Serena had to smile at Sebastian's attention to detail. Little wildflowers bloomed on the edges of the walkway, looking like nature had graced the dirt path with beauty. She knew it was more a demon with an eye for details.

"He thought that you would like this." Teo walked slowly, giving the red head plenty of time to look around without having to run to catch up.

"How did you end up with Sebastian? They said that you transferred into his house."

"That's right. With how things were going around you all, the Elder looked interesting. And there were some things going on in my first house that I didn't appreciate." He pulled her along to what looked like the end of the path, at the edge of a hill. "Turns out I was just in time."

Serena stopped dead in her tracks. The end of the hill was really just the beginning of a steeper incline. Stone stairs were carved into the hillside leading down to the lake that could be seen from a great vantage point. Railings on either side were carved from wood with vines and little flowers to blend in with the surroundings.

"Wow." She touched the wood gently, not noticing Teo shaking his head.

"The Elder will be happy that you like it."

"Like it? It's amazing." Serena started down the stairs looking at everything around them. Wildflowers had been encouraged to grow along the hillside in patches of sunlight that filtered through the trees. Birds flew from branch to branch or picked through leaves on the ground.

"You may want to keep going."

The red head was still looking as Teo gently pushed her along. At the end of the stairs, a dock waited for them. It was separated in two sections. The first that greeted her at the end of the stairs was wide enough to accommodate furniture matching the wicker on the deck and a fire pit that was built in. Past the furniture, the deck narrowed to just enough for two people to walk together to the end. A little ladder led down from the deck to the water.

"He sure put a lot into this, huh?" Serena sat on the edge of the dock and let her feet hang over the edge.

"Glad you noticed. I can't remember how many times the Elder changed it over the years."

"Over the years?"

"Yeah, he's had this property for decades. It's where he stayed while he was waiting for you." Teo looked around them. "About once a year he would remodel it."

"It's still strange to me that he was so close my whole life. I didn't even know he existed until a few weeks ago."

"The Elder has watched you, your mother and your grandmother's lives. He had to stay close."

"I guess Will had a point."

"The reaper?"

"Yeah, he said that everybody had waited for me. But, my whole life I didn't know anything."

"It was a little like wanting to bang your head against a wall. Over and over." He looked out over the lake. "You have no idea how many times I wanted to shake you and tell you to remember. But, remember what? It hadn't happened for you yet."

Both sat looking over the water for a moment before Serena remembered their conversation earlier.

"You said that you transferred just in time. What did you mean?"

"Caught that, did you?" Teo smiled. "Have they told you yet that you were killed by a human that was being controlled by another Elder?"

"Someone mentioned it. Haagenti, I think."

He nodded. "Anyway, after the Elder had decimated the other's house, Lord Lucifer started looking into it. He found that several of the demons that had been trained by my house, including the Elder that ordered the attack on you, had been taught incorrectly. If they were taught anything at all."

"Isn't that the whole purpose of having an Elder? To teach you about being a demon."

The demon shrugged. "Some Elders don't think that way. Thankfully, they are mostly taken care of. Those that are still among us keep to themselves and their territories are considered taboo by others."

"That's not right."

"They haven't done anything to upset Lord Lucifer. Yet." Teo smirked. "Anyway, I had just asked to move to your demon's house when the Fallen descended on them. Each house keeps a record of the demons that are part of their family and I was still listed, so they tracked me down. The Elder stood up for me. Said that I had left the family because I knew something wasn't right and that I was eager to learn from him and his family."

Serena smiled.

"Of course that wasn't enough for Lord Lucifer."

"But, you're here."

He lifted his arm and pulled at a woven bracelet set with green stones. The stones were changing color with the light, or so she thought. He moved his arm into the shade of his own body and she could see the stones were pulsing.

"Lord Lucifer can find me at any time and in any place. Should he decide to change his mind."

"So, the smallest thing and..." Serena made a cutting motion across her throat.

"That's right. If the Elder hasn't killed me already that is."


	46. Chapter 46

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty Six

Lucien looked up at the clock that hung in the kitchen as he flopped onto the couch and gauged the time that Serena and Teo had been gone. Edwin was still looking out the window even though he couldn't possibly see the two. There were several crests in the hill down to the lake and, as strong as they were, neither demon possessed the ability to see through rock. The blonde finally had enough of the quiet.

"Edwin, what are you doing?"

"I do not understand why the Elder would trust his mate with Teo."

"Well, why not?" The blonde shrugged. "He did save her from that reaper in the past."

"True." Edwin nodded. "But, the Elder knows which family he was from."

"He's from our family now." Lucien glared at his partner. "Besides, he's young enough to be re-trained. Like he has been for the last century."

Edwin looked up from the window. "He is young. He's very young. And he already had twenty years with his original family before he came to us."

Both were quiet for a moment. Lucien could practically hear the wheels in his partner's head turning. He jumped up as Edwin bolted out the door.

"Where are you going?"

"We're watching both of them. The Elder has kept Teo out of our home as much as possible until he can prove himself. He won't take the chance of Teo being in our home with Serena until he knows Teo can be trusted."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would he take such a chance with Serena?"

"He's not. Teo was not to approach Serena in school or in Tokyo. The Elder was here when he was in her classes and Gusion had always set another guard with him. He can see her now because we're here." Edwin stopped at the stairs leading to the dock. Both positioned themselves in the trees, able to see but harder to be seen.

"And the Elder knows that you are naturally suspicious of everyone except him and myself." Lucien hung his head.

Edwin put a hand on his arm. "He trusted me to protect his mate. But, he trusted you to be her companion."

"I guess." The blonde was still a little depressed when he looked up and saw Serena and Teo laughing about something as they looked down at the water below them. "What are they doing?"

The red head shook her head with a laugh and backed away from the edge.

Lucien turned to say something to Edwin but his partner was already walking onto the decking with an easy stride. The blonde hurried to catch up.

"What are you two doing down here?" Lucien smiled as Serena and Teo turned to him.

"Nothing." Serena glared at Teo. "Somebody here seems to think that I couldn't swim to the next dock."

"I thought that you were not a strong swimmer, my lady." Edwin leaned against the railing behind him.

"How do you...? Never mind." The red head stood a little straighter. "I can keep my head above water."

Lucien watched them, knowing that he needed to change the subject. Pride was seeping out of Serena and Teo was starting to look a little hungry. "Don't you still need to register for classes?"

Serena shifted a little, looking at the deck. "Well, yeah. But, I still have a few weeks before classes start and didn't you say that Sebastian was almost done anyway?"

"Did Elder Haagenti not tell you to go back into your life while you're waiting?" Edwin started to lead her off the dock.

Serena sighed as she let herself be escorted back to the house. "Yes."

Lucien grabbed Teo's arm as the other demon made to follow.

"What?" Teo asked as he tried to pull away but the older demon's hand only tightened.

"The Elder does not want his mate taking any unnecessary risks."

"What are you talking about?"

"You were encouraging her to get in the water."

"Yeah. There is nobody around and the water's calm." Teo finally pulled out of Lucien's grip. "What risk?"

"She is not a strong swimmer."

"And I was there. Maybe, you two need to back off and let her live a little bit before the Elder locks her up in that tower for the rest of forever." Teo didn't look back as he ran to catch up with Serena and Edwin.

Lucien growled as he watched him go and made his way back to the house at a slower pace.

Lucien slid back into the house to see Serena and Teo looking at a laptop screen while Edwin watched them from the kitchen. Serena held a sketchbook and charcoal that she was using to make a list of classes while Teo scrolled down the list of options.

The red head looked up for a moment before going back to the screen.

In the kitchen, Edwin had spread some flour on the counter that Lucien took advantage of.

 _'He saw no risk.'_

Edwin read the note as he spread dough onto the counter and flattened it out.

 _'Too young.'_

 _'Exactly.'_

 _'He treated her like any other human. No more trips alone.'_

 _'Agreed.'_

Both looked up to see Teo staring at them from across the couch. The older demons stared back without a hint of shame.

"Damn." Serena pushed a hand through her hair. "I had made a list of the classes that I had to take when I first started. But, it's packed up."

Teo smiled as he turned back. "I know all the classes that you need to take."

"What?"

"That's why I played a dork." He shrugged. "You didn't notice that I've been in all your classes. We have the same major, the same required classes and the same adviser too."

Serena stared at him for a minute. "That's weird."

Lucien came around and took one of the overstuffed chairs. "Now, what classes does she have left?"

"Let's see," Teo started to scroll down the screen. "For the year, we still have to have a behavioral science, at least two history class, which could be I and II of whatever we decide on, and five more studio classes, again some could be I and IIs."

"Why do you have to take so many general classes?" Edwin leaned over the back of the couch to see the screen.

"To discourage the air-headed artist stereo-type, the institute has made an agreement with UCONN's local campus for all students to have a well-rounded education." Serena winced. "I put off most of the general courses the last three years and now, I'm kinda behind."

"It seems rather ridiculous," Edwin said as he pushed away from the couch.

"That's what most of us say." Teo nudged Serena's arm.

"Well, I mean I do like some of the classes that I've had to take."

"Really?" Teo looked at her like she was crazy.

"What classes did you like?" Lucien leaned forward with an interested expression.

"I was alright with the Lit classes." She shrugged.

Teo seemed to realize that he'd made a mistake. "Well, we have to take two extra classes both semesters to stay full-time. There is still a set of world lit classes that we haven't taken."

"No, no. We should probably look at the computer animation or something along that line." She nodded. "Greenville would be happier with that."

"Greenville?"

"Our adviser." Serena rolled her eyes.

"Why does it matter what he wants you to do?"

"After all this," she waved at the computer. "We then have a meeting with our adviser and he has to approve our classes before the semester starts."

"See, sometimes it's a good thing when Edwin's no-fun attitude rears its head." Lucien smiled at his partner's glare.

"I still have like three weeks."

"And it's that attitude that caused you to be behind in the first place." Edwin leaned over the couch.

Serena narrowed her eyes at the demon. "You were an honor student, weren't you?"

"My lady?"

"When you were human, you were an honor student."

"I was not a student or scholar at all. When I was human, my family were soldiers. Only those chosen to serve the gods were permitted to learn."

Serena was shocked by the matter-of-fact tone in his voice. There was no anger, no envy.

"You see nothing wrong with that?"

"My lady," Edwin started. "In the time that I was human, this" he waved at the computer. "This would do nothing for you. It would not create things to trade with, it could not feed your family, it would not protect you or those you cared for. People who studied were those that were taken in by the temples and spent their time learning to appease the gods that they would leave us in peace. Hunters and farmers provided food, while metal workers provided weapons and tools. They had no need for books as they learned what they needed from a master. And soldiers learned fighting from older members of the family to protect them all. We had no need for books as what we learned could be taught by a master and applied as soon as possible."

The redhead stared for a minute, absorbing what he had said.

"Well, now I feel worthless."

"Not at all. That was the time period that I was human. In this time, education is not only more accessible, it is a requirement for most. Times change and while there are many trades that are still master and apprentice, the majority of your people need to study. You could make a life without it, but it would be difficult."

"Wow," Teo looked at the older demon. "You sure know how to kill a mood, don't you?"

***********************A Demon's Mate******************

Serena knew there was something going on. Tension thickened the air around the four of them but it all came from the demons. Either Edwin or Lucien had an eye on Teo at all times and it was started to get to the point that even she noticed. After lunch, Teo had followed Serena out onto the deck and Lucien had followed him as Edwin picked up the kitchen.

Teo had backed himself into the corner of the couch furthest from the blonde, a strange pouting glare on his face. Serena tried to ignore them as she opened up the sketchbook that she had pulled out earlier.

It wasn't working very well, especially once Lucien's pocket started to jingle.

She started as he held the phone out to her and she realized that it was her phone to begin with. Teo looked at the phone with almost the same expression that she had.

"Hello?"

"Serena? It's Professor Greenville. How are you?"

The red head blinked for a moment, confused. "I'm good."

"Great. I saw that you registered for your fall semester."

"I just finished a few minutes ago."

"Yes. Since it is your last year, your choices come to me first instead of going to the registrar's office." She could hear some papers shift in the background. "Now, I am supposed to discuss the classes that you are taking with you, as well as your career path from here, but I would also love to hear about your semester in Tokyo. When would be a good time for you to come in?"

"I guess whenever's good for you." Serena looked over to Lucien and saw his nod. "I haven't really planned anything since I just got back in last night."

"Wonderful," She heard pages moving again. "I will be on campus all afternoon if you are available."

"What's the rush?"

A sigh came over the line. "Serena. This is your last year. You're about to graduate and you need to get all your ducks lines up. I'll soon be booked with everyone else that waited until the last minute."

"Last minute, there's still three weeks."

"I've already seen thirty students this week alone. Not to mention those that already registered right after the last semester ended and those that took advantage of the summer. You're a procrastinator Serena, and you need to move quicker if you are going to the New York Institute. Careers are made for those who act."

The red head fell back against the couch and stared at the sky. "Yeah, I can come in this afternoon."

"Wonderful. I'll see you then."

Serena didn't get a chance to say goodbye as the line hung up and she pushed the end button in a daze.

"Well, nothing like feeling you've been pushed onto a speeding train."

"He's right though." Lucien came and took the phone back from her. "You might as well get everything set up for your last year."

"I just don't get what the big rush is."

"You aren't doing anything else." The blonde shrugged.

"You keep her phone?" Teo looked shocked as Lucien slid the device into his pocket. "You let them keep your phone?"

"Well, I was talking to Undertaker and he said something that Lucien didn't like and he took my phone."

Teo didn't say anything but his expression didn't change and Serena blushed.

"It's not like I can fight him for it."

"You can just order him to give it to you."

The red head looked back to Lucien as he glared at Teo. "Really? Lucien, give me my phone."

He continued to glare at the younger demon as he pulled the phone back out of his pocket and handed it to Serena. She smiled as she looked at the screen.

"Check that out."

*****************A Demon's Mate******************

The campus was certainly beautiful. Large, mature trees stood together inviting anyone to take a seat beneath them. As they drove, Serena spotted the familiar bridge crossing the koi ponds that were maintained by students and heated through the winter.

Besides being the closest school of the arts to her home town, the campus itself had done a lot to make Serena dream of being accepted here. When she was young, her father had brought her to the school to see the summer production put on by the theater students and Serena fell in love.

 _'One of a handful of happy memories. Bet Dad wishes he had never brought me here.'_

Edwin seemed to know exactly where he was going and needed no directions from her or Teo, who was back in his Michael disguise. There wasn't a hint of unknowing as he winded his way around the outer road, before turning into the parking lot closest to the building housing the paint and sculpting studios.

Serena stared at the imposing brick rising from the ground for a moment before starting to open the door. Edwin was already there with his hand out to help her get out of the car. The campus was not as deserted as she would have guessed. One or two people were going into the building and there were others moving between the paths around them. Down the road, the building holding the campus bookstore was practically buzzing.

"Am I a procrastinator?" She asked Edwin as they started up the sidewalk leading around to the front doors.

"Perhaps." He kept scanning their surroundings as he spoke. "You see no need to rush but that is not always a bad thing. Waiting to take in all your options can be an intelligent move. The problem is knowing when there is no more time to wait for more options. That skill can be a bit trickier to learn."

Inside, the halls were empty but they could still hear a few people moving around. Music from one room and the clicking of computer keys from another. Serena led the way to the stairs at the other end of the all that went to the office floor. Teo was quiet behind them, having received a call from Prof. Greenville as well, right after Serena's.

"Oh, Serena."

The trio turned to see a short, thin woman come out of one of the studios looking to be in her thirties. Pixie cut dark hair, framed her face as she smiled at the redhead and held out her hands that were splattered with paint. One finger was encased in metal that ended in a wicked looking point. The red head had always liked the strange ring that the professor wore and didn't miss a beat as she carefully took the hands offered and walked into the room with her. Edwin was a dark shadow behind her, slowly radiating more and more 'back off.'

"Professor James, how are you?"

"Oh, none of that Professor stuff. You know I don't like that. Call me Anita." She pulled the red head closer to the work currently taking up half a wall in the back of the classroom. "How was your trip? You went to London, right?"

"No, I was in Tokyo."

The woman looked confused. "I could have sworn that they said you were seen in London."

"I knew something smelled wrong here." Edwin jerked Serena back, moving to stand between the two women.

"What the hell, Edwin?" Serena tried to push him back but the demon had become as still as stone.

"She's a reaper."

"What?!" Teo came closer and pulled off Micheal's glasses to stare at the woman.

Edwin growled. "You didn't notice?"

Anita smiled. "I was so sure that you did. I thought that was why you never liked my class."

"Well, since we all know now. I never liked your class because you're kind of a bitch."

The reaper waved the comment off. "You just think that I'm a bitch because you have no talent."

Serena finally stuck her head around Edwin, cutting off Teo. "You're a reaper?"

"Was. I'm retired now." The professor leaned forward to see around the demons, a strange excitement on her face. "Did you really meet Undertaker?"

Still wierded out, the red head looked to both demons before answering slowly. "Yeah."

"Oh, I'm so jealous." Anita clapped her hands together and tried to come forward but Edwin shuffled Serena further away. "He's a legend. All reapers hear about him, but not many actually meet the man himself. What's he like?"

Serena stared at the stars in the professor's eyes and tried to ignore the feeling that she was looking at a mooney-eyed teenager.

"He's a little strange. It's a good strange though."

"Did you see his deathscythe?"

"Yes."

Anita squealed. "Oh, I hate you. Did you know he made it himself? Most scythes are made by the council, as there is some ingredient in the metal that only the higher ups know about. It's what makes them so strong. Undertaker is said to have made his own, forged in his own blood. Can you imagine how powerful he has to be for that?"

"Should you be telling me this?" Serena shot a speaking look in the direction of the demons but the older woman waved it off.

"Don't worry about that. I'm sure they already know that much."

Edwin nodded with Serena looked at him. "Indeed, we do. However, knowing what I do now about Undertaker, it makes the story of him forging his own scythe with his blood is quite interesting."

"Really? What do you know?" Anita turned her full gaze on Edwin but Serena grabbed his arm.

"Don't answer that. It's his secret that you found out by accident. It's no one else's business."

Anita pouted a little. "Damn. I was so sure that you would have some good stories about him."

"Sorry."

"I suppose it's alright. His legendary status is in part because no one knows much about him." Anita sighed with her hands on her hips. "It's just a little disappointing."

"We should be going, my lady." Edwin moved to push Serena to the door, keeping between her and the reaper.

"Oh, that reminds me."

Serena turned back around and was shocked by how close Anita had gotten. Edwin was stunned as well, trying to push the woman away, but she had a grip on Serena's wrist that gave him pause. That wicked looking point was resting against Serena's flesh and it would not take much for it to cut into delicate skin. If he pulled her away now, the reaper would slit her wrist.

The redhead looked down at the metal poised to cut into her and back up at the professor she had known since her first semester. Anita still carried the smile on her face, but something darker lurked in her eyes as she looked at Edwin before turning back to Serena.

"Should you change your mind, there are those that would help you escape him."

Edwin growled low, taking another step forward but was stopped by the red head's other hand.

"Will and Ronald already offered the same while I was in the past. Undertaker also said something when I was with him in London. Although, they were always smart enough to mention it quietly, in passing while there were no demons around."

"I find that hard to believe. There is always someone watching you." Anita shrugged and let Serena pull out of her grasp. "My offer remains, even if only to get you to Undertaker as he is far better equipped to deal with your guards."

She kept her hand on Edwin as she backed away from the woman. "I will remember it."

"Good. I believe you're here to see Greenville and I won't keep you any longer. I look forward to having you in class again."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Anita." The woman smiled as she turned back to her current project on the wall, waving them off.

Edwin was quick to pull the red head out into the hall, Teo keeping watch on the reaper as he followed. In the hallway, Edwin turned on the younger demon.

"How could you not have noticed that?"

"You never saw it either."

"I was never that close. You were in a room with her for hours and you never saw anything wrong with her?"

"I thought she was crazy. It's not like she was wearing a sign that said 'reaper here' on it or swinging one of their ridiculous deathscythes around."

Edwin's eyes flashed that swirling red for a moment before returning to gray. "That was her scythe."

"What?" Serena stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"What she wears on her finger. That is her deathscythe. I have no idea how she was able to form it that small, but it reeks of blood and death."

"Professor James also has a class on metalwork. No wonder she wants to know how Undertaker made his." Teo looked back to the door holding the reaper's studio.

"She probably used a piece of her original deathscythe and modified it."

"Do you really think that she made it herself? I figured it was something she bought from a shop. I kinda want to take the metalworking class now." Serena cocked her head as she thought about it. "I'll ask Greenville if I can change out Sculpture for it."

"What?"

"Well, I hate Sculpture." The red head pouted. "I'm really not good with clay or stone. Not the best mediums for me."

"You are not taking her class." Edwin started to head for the stairs at the end of the hallway again.

"Oh, come on. You should think of it like spying on the enemy."

"It's puts you in far too much danger to be that close to a reaper that already threatened you."

"She didn't threaten me. She was keeping you away for a minute."

"This discussion is over."

Serena glared for a moment before turning to Teo. "Does it work on Edwin too?"

He felt dread pooling in his stomach, but he couldn't not answer. "Well, yeah, but I think he has a point."

Serena held her head high and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm taking metalworking. Now, our discussion is over."

Edwin growled as he glared at Teo, making the younger demon shrink back a little. Serena ignored them both and headed up the stairs.

*******************A Demon's Mate******************

Professor Greenville's office was just as immaculate as Serena remembered when she stepped inside and took a seat in front of his desk. The man himself, was as perfect as his surroundings. His perfectly pressed suit hung well on his tall frame and the color looked good against his dark skin.

He smiled warmly as he moved around the large desk to take his own seat. "So, tell me about Tokyo."

"It was great. Some of the professors had wonderful techniques that I had never seen before."

"What drew you the most?"

She thought about it for a minute, remembering everything that she had seen before meeting a certain demon threw everything else out of whack. "I think the ink painting. It was so different than what I normally do. I normally make everything as detailed as possible but you have to use as few strokes as possible in ink painting. There really is no room to hide a mistake or change your mind. It's an art form that is truly permanent once your brush hits the paper."

"Wonderful. I'm sure that we will see some of what you learned during the Fall Festival." The man leaned forward and pulled a file from the holder on his desk. "To look to the future now. The classes that you have chosen are in keeping with what you need to graduate and I do not think that the course load would be too much to handle. Down to the wire, there aren't that many classes to take. I like that you have grouped classes together, leaving whole days to work. Also, each of the studio classes will give you opportunity to add to your portfolio, which is a smart move. Each one has a continuing class for the spring so you will need to make sure that you keep up. There is no more time if you slip up on a class to retake it. Are there any classes that concern you about keeping up with the workload?"

Serena shifted a little in her seat. "Actually, I was thinking about Sculpture I."

"Yes, I noticed that you had chosen that." He looked at her with a pained expression. "I worry about that class. If you fail, there is nothing for you to take in the spring. Which would leave you short to graduate."

"Clay and stone aren't really my thing."

Greenville nodded in agreement. "It is good to recognize where your strengths lie, as well as where they do not. You've already taken Sculpture I before and..."

"Crashed and burned?"

"Crashed, you didn't burn. But the fact remains that you did not score high enough to earn the credits for that class. There are many industries that will require sculpting. Game designers and such like to see a three dimensional piece. It may be prudent to take it again and try to improve. However, there are several instances of oils and sketchwork, as well as computer animation being used. Which, I have seen you are taking with me." He smiled. "I'm glad that you are looking at that."

"I knew you would be." Serena smiled and took a breath while pushing her hair back. "I ran into Anita on the way here."

"Who?"

"Sorry, Professor James."

"Right." Greenville rolled his eyes. "You really should not call her that, even if she says so. She's still your teacher, not your friend."

"I know. Anyway, I was thinking of taking her metalworking class."

"I know that it is a different medium, Serena. I also know that I know nothing about it. But, I fear that sculpture and metalwork have many of the same basic principals. They are both three dimensional mediums and I worry that you will have the same result."

"However, unlike stone, if I mess up I can just reheat it and start again."

"I believe that it is more complicated than you think." Greenville sighed. "I can't deny that I would rather you try something else though. I will approve the change, however if you start sliding the smallest bit, none of this fixing it yourself or going to another student. Go straight to Professor James and ask for help."

Serena put her hand up like she was in court. "I swear it."

He stared at her for a moment before turning to his computer and typing something in. "Alright. I have made your change and am approving your course path."

"Thank you." Serena fidgeted in her seat a little as the printer kicked on from the file cabinet next to her adviser's desk. She smiled as Greenville looked over the paper one more time, before handing it across the desk. He didn't immediately let go when she took the paper from him.

"I'm serious, Serena. The smallest problem, even personal, you need to talk about. You are too close to the end with too many offers to make a mistake now."

The smile dropped from her face and she looked serious at the man that had been her biggest fan since she came to the school. "I know. You'll be the first one to hear if I have any problems."

"Good." He let go of the paper. "I would advise that you head to the campus bookstore next. You can pick up what you will need for classes and have time to take a quick look through them before the semester starts. I would also tell you to start working on your piece for the Fall Festival now. There will be several people there and you want to show your best work."

Serena nodded. "I know and I already have some ideas to work on."

 _'And I already have enough personal problems to sink the Titanic.'_

*******************A Demon's Mate*******************

The campus bookstore was already busy even with three weeks to go and Serena felt a little lazy again. Students packed the aisles, making it difficult to walk and most of them turned to look at Edwin. Some quickly looked away again, intimidated by the large man, but some kept staring as he walked past. Teo watched it happen with a pout. His disguise wasn't nearly as appealing and he was mostly ignored.

Serena found the first set of numbers on a shelf that matched the numbers on the paper in her hand. There were three stacks that matched the number and she sighed.

"Of course. Looks like it's going to be an expensive semester again. All of these are new editions this year." She looked back at Teo to see the demon staring at the girl helping another group at the end of their aisle.

Edwin leaned over and smacked the other demon in the back of the head.

"Ow," he rubbed the sore spot. "What was that for?"

Serena shoved the books into his arms. "What you're going to need for this semester." Turning back to the shelf she started pulling out books for herself. Edwin was quick to take the books from her arms.

"I can carry them."

The demon raised an eyebrow. "I can carry them easier. Besides, it is not proper for the Elder's mate to carry heavy things."

Serena hung her head. "Welcome to bubble world."

"That's right." Teo sung as his attention finally came back to their own little group.

"Let's just keep going." She moved around both of them and went back to checking numbers against the tags on the shelves.

After an hour, they walked up to the checkout line loaded with every textbook they would need for the coming semester. Serena felt a tension in the pit of her stomach looking at the stack that Edwin carried.

 _'This is gonna hurt.'_

When they were finally waved over by a cashier, another student, Teo went with them and set his own books on the counter as well. Serena stared and felt her stomach clench tighter but didn't want to make a scene. She pulled her wallet out of her purse and noticed the demons staring at her.

"What?"

"What are you doing?" Edwin asked.

"I'm paying for my books."

The older demon turned his back to her and pulled a credit card out of his pocket. He heard her huff behind him.

"Are we going to have this discussion again?" He reminded her of the London hotel as the young woman rattled off a number.

"We'll have it later." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"And the answer will be the same."

Looking back to the cashier, something about the girl was familiar. It was hard to place since she couldn't really see the girl's face but the tall frame and natural blonde hair stood out. The cashier was far too enamored of Edwin to notice her looking. Or, at least Serena thought she was. The girl finally saw Serena as she was bagging the books to make them easier to carry.

"Oh, Serena. I didn't see that it was you." The girl smiled. "Are you ready for the last year?"

"Yeah." She tried to play off that she couldn't remember who the girl was. "Have you already chosen your classes?"

"I did that as soon as registration opened. I wanted to be sure that I got the classes I wanted."

Serena hung her head. "I see."

"You waited till the last minute, didn't you?" She didn't even wait for an answer. "You're lucky that you were still able to get the classes that you needed."

"Believe me, Professor Greenville already drilled that into me."

As she was watching, Serena finally got her answer.

"Nadine!" She spoke before she thought about it and then realized that she had given herself away.

"You remembered huh?"

The red head's face grew warm and she had a feeling that her face would soon match her hair. "Sorry. I knew that I knew you but I'm bad with names."

"That's alright." Nadine stopped for a minute, thinking about something. "I wanted to ask you..."

She stopped again and someone else in line filled the gap.

"Is this line ever going to move?"

Nadine glared at the man before turning back to Serena. "Never mind. I'll see you in the studio I'm sure."

"Alright. See you later." Serena waved as Edwin and Teo grabbed the bags and hurried her toward the door.

It took some time to get through the crowd at the door and when they finally reached the parking lot, Edwin stayed close to Serena.

"You should avoid her."

"Nadine? Why?"

"She wants something from you."

"Maybe she just wants to hang out?"

"She's isn't offering friendship, my lady. I can smell the greed on her."

"Is that why she was so enamored with you?"

"Yes." He answered simply and used the key fob to open the trunk. After stowing the bags, he turned back to see Serena with her arms crossed again.

"Let me guess, you feed off of greed. Like Haagenti?"

He led her around to the door and opened it for her. "That is correct, my lady."

After they were all in and headed for the gates, Serena turned in her seat to look at Teo.

"What do you feed off of?"

He winked at her. "The original, baby. Pride."

*******************A Demon's Mate***************

Not long after they got back to the house, Teo grabbed his books and took off. Evidently, he was in charge of something else for the Elder as well as taking classes with Serena and he needed to get back to it. When she asked what it was, he just winked at her and said she'd like it. Lucien helped her look through her books before finding a place to store them until classes began while Edwin was preoccupied with dinner.

Serena definitely had to hand it to the demon. He was a great cook. After scarfing down some kind of pasta with a creamy white sauce and broccoli, the red head wandered around her new home. She ended up on the deck looking toward the lake. Not really thinking about what she was doing, Serena started down the stairs leading to the woods, feeling like there was something down there. Something she wanted.

"Where are you going?" Lucien was suddenly beside her and made the red head jump back. He put a hand on her arm to steady her as she tried to calm the thumping in her chest.

"Don't do that." She smacked his arm before turning back to the trail. "I was just going for a walk."

The blonde smiled easily. "I'll go with you."

"Lucien, I get it. You and Edwin are supposed to protect me and make sure that I don't do anything stupid." She saw the look on his face and blushed. "Or any more stupid than what I've done already. But I really just want to do something alone."

"I really can't let you go alone." He spoke quietly, knowing it wasn't going to make her happy.

"Is there anything threatening around?"

Lucien stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes to feel the area around them. When he opened them again, she saw they were swirling for a second.

"No."

"Then why can't I go alone?" She was quiet for a moment. "I could just order you to let me go alone."

"Actually, you cannot. The Elder ordered us to protect you and to do that, I or Edwin must be with you. The Elder's orders supersede yours."

"Come on, Lucien. Even you said, there's nothing out there."

The demon sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Shaking his head, he waved out a hand to the path through the woods.

"Thank you." Serena smiled and hurried off before he changed his mind. She didn't see Lucien smirk as he melted into the darkness of the forest.

Walking through the trees, Serena didn't want to admit that she couldn't see very well and every noise made her flinch. There was no way that she was going back to the house now that she finally had a little time to herself.

She was glad for the railing, once she found it in the dark, and used the wood to help her down the stairs that she couldn't see. Something scurried across the path and all she could see was a darker version of the black around her. She stopped for a minute before shaking her head and continuing down the trail.

Serena breathed a sigh of relief when she finally reached the dock and the trees fell away. The light of the moon was almost as bright as the sun after coming out of the darkness of the trees and she smiled as she walked easily to the patio set that was placed on the dock. She smiled as the quiet wrapped around her.

Edwin and Lucien watched from the trees, both shaking their heads.

"She heads straight out into the open."

Edwin looked around them as he felt something move through the woods. Both demons felt the power brush across their skin as it glided through the trees around them and shared a look. They felt it waiting, watching, the same as them.

**************A Demon's Mate**************

Later, Serena looked at the moon once more before turning to the trees, figuring she had been here long enough. Still, she shivered as she thought of walking through them again to get back to the house.

 _'Why didn't I let Lucien come with me? I can't even see where I'm going.'_ She shook her head and stood with a purpose. _'This is ridiculous. I made it down here just fine, it will be easier going up because I won't be worrying about falling down.'_

She stopped when the dock turned to stairs again. Something was moving through the woods, she could hear the leaves rustling as it came toward her and she put a hand to her racing heart.

 _'Stop it! Lucien already said there was nothing dangerous out here. It's probably just a raccoon or something looking for food. Of course, raccoons can be aggressive. But I already saw something earlier and it seemed more scared of me than I was of it. It's probably the same animal. I'll just get past where it's walking and we'll all be happy.'_

Her hand gripped the railing but she still couldn't move. She heard it coming closer and backed up instead. Hurrying back to the couch, she looked up to the small bit of light she could see coming from the house as she berated herself.

 _'Great. Now I'm stuck here because I'm a scardy cat.'_

Leaves rustled again and she looked to where she thought the noise had come from. She couldn't see anything even she knew it was there. She put a hand to her throat as she stared at the spot that had gone completely quiet.

Something dark leaped out of the trees and the scream she had been holding in lit the night.

Serena closed her eyes as she waited to feel teeth rip into her skin...but there was nothing. Opening her eyes again, she saw the familiar shape of Edwin standing between her and whatever had jumped out of the woods. She wanted to cry in relief but settled for leaning her head on the demon's back instead.

"It's a cat."

"What?" Serena looked around Edwin and saw, indeed a black feline, standing on the dock's railing and staring at them with gold eyes.

"You were scared of a cat?"

"No." She pushed her way around him. "I was scared of something that was going to eat me."

Edwin looked at the animal. "Perhaps, if it's hungry enough."

Serena glared at the demon before turning back to the cat and holding her hand out. "Hello."

The cat backed up a little, sniffing the air around him. After a moment, he meowed and rubbed his head on her hand.

"Oh, he likes me." Serena scratched behind the cat's ears with a smile. "He must be used to people from the lake cabins."

"Or he just wants a nibble."

"Let it go," she hissed back at him.

"Very well. We should head back to the house, my lady."

"I guess you're right." Serena gave the cat a final stroke and started down the dock toward the stairs.

Edwin came up behind her and offered an arm for her to hold onto on the way back. She stared at it for a moment before sliding her own through it.

"Thank you. I can't really see in the dark."

"If you had spoken, we would have heard you."

She gauged the distance to the house. "This far?"

"Of course."

"I'll try to remember that."

The trip back was faster with someone that could see in the dark. She only stumbled once and Edwin was quick to help her find solid ground again. She could finally enjoy the peaceful sounds of the woods around her and the red head admitted that she had gotten used to being protected.

Lucien waited at the bottom of the stairs leading to the deck when they emerged from the treeline, leaning against the bottom rail. He stood up straighter as they came closer.

"So, what was it?"

"A cat." Edwin answered simply.

Serena winced. "You heard me scream?"

"I think the entire state heard you scream."

She threw her hands up and started for the stairs with Lucien's laughter echoing around her. A meow in the dark made her turn back to see the black cat sitting just outside the tree line. She turned around and he came a little closer, still hesitating.

"Awe, I bet he's hungry." Serena gave him an encouraging smile as she knelt on the ground. When he rubbed against her jeans, she laughed and slowly slid a hand around his belly. Feeling no resistance, she gently lifted the cat and settled him against her chest. "We'll see if we can find something to feed you."

"Are you sure you want to bring him inside, my lady?" Edwin stared at the animal.

"Well, he's a forest cat so he probably won't stay. It would only be for the night."

Lucien came a little closer. "If you feed an animal, they tend to stick around."

"Maybe he'll just stick around then." She turned her back on both demons and started up the stairs, murmuring to the cat in her arms.

*******************A Demon's Mate******************

After making sure that he didn't have fleas and trying to feed him some of the meat in the fridge, which he wouldn't eat, Serena settled on the couch with the cat.

"You weren't hungry." She scratched underneath his chin as he laid against her chest. "I bet you just wanted to come inside, huh?"

The red head looked up to Lucien who had taken the chair again.

"As much as I hate to say it, people are known to just drop cats in this area. He's probably one of those since he really doesn't seem afraid of people."

Neither demon said anything as she smiled at the small animal.

"I guess we should name you. Just in case you stay."

"What about Fluffy? That's a popular pet name." Lucien smiled from his seat.

Serena sneered at the demon. "Ugh. How could you even think that?"

"Sorry." He held his hands up in surrender.

She looked over the couch to Edwin. "What do you think?"

"I think you should be the one to name him if you intend to keep him." He set the towel that he was holding down on the counter and came into the living room.

"Hmm. What should we name you?" The red head watched the cat as she scratched his cheeks with her nails. Everything about him was black, from his whiskers and nose to the furry tip of his tail. "I got it."

"What's that, my lady?" Edwin set a glass of juice on the coffee table in front of her before taking the other chair.

"We'll call him Noir."


	47. Chapter 47

Author's Note: I'll include one shots about Teo and Serena's first day of class with Professor Anita in a bit, it just doesn't fit here and I promised not to get distracted again.

Also, this is going to be a little jerky. Because we need to move on if we're going to end this in a couple chapters. Be ready for fast-forward. Also, this one is extra long so we could fit that last train-wreck in.

On a completely unsolicited note, I would encourage people looking for a laugh to check out Simon's Cat on YouTube. Cat lovers and caretakers can certainly relate but it's funny for everybody.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the descendants and demons that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty Eight

Settling into the little house by the lake, Serena and the demons had developed a routine. Lucien would wake her and Noir while Edwin got breakfast together. Afterward, Noir would want out to explore the woods, and Serena believed, to hunt his own breakfast, as he wouldn't take food from her. Meanwhile the red head closed herself into the studio space Sebastian had provided and work on one of two large canvases that she had set up. Lunch was break time, where the demons would to coax her out and Teo would stop by for a few hours. Serena had finally convinced Edwin and Lucien that she could swim enough to let her in the lake, with them of course. It had taken a minute for her to stop blushing after seeing both of them in just shorts the first time...and a couple times after that. Leading her to wonder if they had always been that perfect or if turning into demons had made them so appealing. Teo would frequently be the first one in the water, trying to make a bigger splash each time and the two older demons would make Serena wait until the water calmed down. When there were others at the lake, the red head had a feeling that Edwin was radiating his patented 'back off,' that allowed them to be in peace.

Not very often, Teo would convince Serena and the other demons to go into town, either for shopping or to see a movie. It was the first trip that she learned of the garage a short distance from the house. Sebastian hadn't wanted to ruin the feel of the little cottage and had built the garage separately. She had stared at the vehicles that were available and Lucien informed her that the Elder hadn't been sure of her preference and had purchased one of each style. Serena had laughed when she noticed that they were all black.

Teo would normally stay while dinner was prepared before making his way back to whatever the Elder had ordered him to do. After the meal, Noir would make another appearance, much to Serena's delight. The cat was her companion as she went back into the studio until a walk through the woods before bed. Nights that it rained, Serena would opt for a relaxing bath in her copper tub before sliding into bed. She was a little surprised the first time Noir jumped into the tub as it was filling and played in the water until it was a few inches deep before climbing out to lay on the edge while she soaked.

The first day of classes was fast approaching and Serena was finding more and more things that she was missing from her stored belongings. Edwin had reminded her that they could purchase anything that she was needing. She had reminded him that money didn't grow on trees and he had informed her that the Elder had spent decades on earth waiting for her and in that time, had amassed more than enough money that he would love her to spend.

Unwilling to back down, Serena finally called her mother and made arrangements to pick up her things.

As they drove into town, the red head grew more and more quiet. Both demons felt the tension that permeated the car and frequently looked into the backseat. Serena didn't notice as she was too lost in her own head. Edwin finally had enough and looked in the mirror as the red head chewing on her thumbnail.

"My lady, is there something that we should be concerned about?"

Serena stared at him for a minute. "What would have happened if you hadn't wanted to be a soldier?"

"I'm sorry?"

"When you were human. What would have happened if you hadn't wanted to be a soldier?"

Edwin was quiet, moving easily through traffic as he thought about her question. "I probably would have been killed during sparring practice. My family would have grieved but not thought much of it. I had seven brothers for them to worry about. They would simply thought it the will of the gods and moved on."

Serena looked back out the window as they drove down a familiar street. "Yeah. It hasn't changed much."

Both demons shared a look as Edwin pulled up to the curb in front of a pretty brick, two-story house. Serena stared with dread at the paver pathway to the front door that was lined with summer flowers, her mother's work. It was a perfectly normal house that was surrounded by normal houses. Neither Edwin, nor Lucien could understand the fear from the backseat.

Serena let out a sigh and pulled the handle on the door. Lucien started to get out and she stopped.

"Lucien, could you stay here?" She looked at the house again. "I'd rather not make this any more difficult than it needs to be."

The blonde blinked at her, unsure whether to be offended or not. "If that is what you wish."

She nodded and got out of the car as Lucien shut his door again. Edwin tossed the keys to the blonde and went around to escort(push) Serena up the sidewalk. When they got to the door, she didn't want to knock so the demon did it for her.

A woman in her forties with perfectly dyed and styled blonde hair answered. She smiled as soon as she saw Serena and pushed the storm door open. Everything about Tara Walton was as perfect as the house around her. The pretty blue button down went nicely with her pressed white slacks and matching sandals. Her nails were manicured and sported only clear polish as she held her hands out for Serena. The blonde had a few inches on her daughter and smiled as she brushed the girl's hair back.

"You look good. I didn't know you were back in the country yet."

Serena tried to smile. "Yeah, my semester starts next week."

"Oh," the woman clasped her hands together. "Good for you. Who's your friend?"

"This is Edwin. He's my new roommate." Serena caught the raised eyebrow from her mother as she pulled Edwin forward.

"Edwin Phillips, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's nice to meet one of Serena's friends. We don't very often." She looked to her daughter before going back to Edwin. "Oh, what am I thinking? Come in, come in."

They followed into the house, past the perfect living room made to entertain and into the white kitchen where an older man in uniform sat at the white granite island. Serena jumped a little when she saw his imposing frame, with it's familiar hard face and gray that was beginning to take over his short cut hair, before swallowing hard.

"Dad, I didn't think that you would be home."

"Otherwise you would have picked another time to come, right?" He took a sip of his coffee as Serena looked away and stood to look at Edwin. "Are you going to introduce us or just leave him standing there?"

The red head sighed. "Edwin Phillips, this is my father, Samuel Walton." She caught the look from her father. "Major Samuel Walton."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Edwin didn't bother to smile as he shook the man's hand. Now he knew why she had wanted Lucien to stay in the car, the blonde's flirting, carefree attitude would not be welcome here.

"To you as well. So, what brings you trailing after my wayward daughter?"

"You make it sound like I ran away for a few years and lived on the streets."

"You certainly took off fast enough as soon as you could."

Serena crossed her arms over her chest. "Gee, I wonder why."

He looked her over. "At least you haven't dyed your hair purple again."

Amelia laid a hand on Edwin's arm with a smile and raised her voice to cut Serena off. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I wouldn't want to impose."

"Of course you're not." She walked easily to the pot and took a mug from the cupboard above. Everything was in order, all the mugs and glasses and stemware matched, setting in perfect space to one another. "How do you like it?"

"Black's fine, ma'am."

"Straight-forward." The Major waved them to a seat and resumed his own.

A noise from the living room made them all look as a younger man came into the room. The younger version of the Major smiled as he saw Serena and pulled the red head into a hug.

"Hey, Sis. Mom said you were coming over." He moved to swing the smaller girl around with a laugh.

"Sam."

One word from his mother and her brother put Serena down. "Right, be careful with the delicate artist."

He missed her glare as he took his own cup from their mother with a nod of thanks and leaned against the island.

"I got accepted to The Academy. Start next fall."

Serena smiled. "That's great. Congratulations." She looked at both her parents and took a deep breath. "I'm about to start my last year."

Samuel scoffed as he took another sip of coffee. "Maybe you can start living in reality then and see what a worthless degree does for you."

"My degree is not worthless."

"An art degree. What are you going to do with that?" He set his cup down, ready for war.

"There's plenty that I can do."

"Like what?"

"My adviser is pushing for character design for a gaming company."

"Great. So you're going to promote this generation that runs into a game instead of doing something with themselves." He stared at her as she looked away again. "You could have done so much more with your grades."

"I like what I'm doing," she ground out.

"Really? Don't seem very proud of it. You can't even look someone in the eye when you tell them what you're doing."

"Maybe because I'm sick of this argument."

"There wouldn't be an argument if you listened to me to begin with."

Serena crossed her arms again, knowing that this was going nowhere. "Can we just get the boxes?"

The Major waved his cup toward the door at the other end of the kitchen. "Feel free to run away again."

"Thank you."

Serena didn't look back as she stomped to the door and threw it open to show the stairs leading to the basement. Edwin bowed his head to her family as he set his cup back on the counter and followed more slowly.

By the time he was down the stairs, Serena was already there and shoving boxes aside as she looked for what belonged to her. Edwin followed her scent and saw a small stack on the other side of the basement.

"My lady," he nodded to the boxes when she looked at him.

Serena slammed down the box she was holding and went over to the others. Ripping the first open, she set it to the side and moved to the next one. When she was done, three boxes were set apart from the rest. Edwin moved to pick them up and Serena shoved around him.

"I can carry my own stuff," she snapped.

"My lady," he kept his voice soft as he picked up two of the boxes. "It is not a matter of strength. You will have to take multiple trips through the house if you carry it all yourself."

"Fine." She grabbed the only box that Edwin had left and followed him up the stairs.

Everyone was still in the kitchen and Serena knew that they had been talking about her by how quiet it got when they walked into the room. All three turned to look at them and their eyes followed Edwin as he strode toward the door.

"I'll send you an invite to my graduation."

The Major stood up and put on his hat. "And your bedroom is still open when you can't afford to live on your own."

Serena didn't reply as she slammed the door behind herself and almost ran to the car. Edwin was loading the boxes in the back of the SUV as she put the last box on the tailgate and went to her door. It wouldn't open and she saw Lucien ducking in the backseat. The first garage door in the front of the house opened on a well-oiled track without a sound as she went to the passenger-side door and yanked it open.

Edwin didn't say anything as he opened his own door and nodded to the black sedan that passed them with the Major and his son inside. Looking to the front door again, he saw Tara standing in the open doorway as he slid into the driver's seat.

"I take it the visit didn't go well?" Lucien sat up after they were down the street a ways.

"I don't want to talk about it," Serena snapped.

*********************A Demon's Mate******************

Back at the house, Serena hadn't left her mood behind and decided hiding out in the bedroom was a better plan. The three boxes sat on the floor, though she had yet to open one. Instead, the red head was leaning against the wall, looking out the window and replaying the moments with her father.

She could hear voices from the other room. Teo had already come and been told that today was not a good day to visit. After a few minutes, Serena had heard the front door shut again. Other than bringing the boxes into the room, the demons had seemed to realize they needed to leave her alone and didn't bother to come to the door more than asking if she wanted something for lunch.

It was by accident that Serena noticed that she could see part of the deck from the window if she looked at just the right angle. Not that it really mattered. She knew where everyone was. Neither Edwin nor Lucien had ventured beyond the living room from the time that she had locked herself in here.

Until something moved.

Serena leaned forward against the glass as something moved around the deck but whatever it was, was beyond the spot that she could see. A small head popped around the railing and meowed at her. With a smile, the red head headed out of her room. Edwin and Lucien jumped up from the living room but she ignored them as she opened the door to the deck.

Noir rubbed against her legs, purring so loud she could feel the vibration through her jeans. Picking up the cat, Serena cuddled him close and took a seat on the couch outside. She heard the door open but didn't look up.

Lucien took the other couch and watched the red head for a minute before speaking.

"You know, he's just worried about you."

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"We don't have to talk about it." The demon shrugged. "I'm just saying, that your father is just worried about you. Not that he has to be. The Elder will take good care of you."

"Yeah, I would love to tell my dad that."

He nodded. "He might think that you've lost your mind."

"You think?" Serena hugged the little cat with a sigh. "It's always like that. Ever since I said that I wanted to go to art school."

"Well, it is a fickle field," Lucien reasoned.

"I guess."

"But like I said, it's not something that you have to worry about."

Serena finally looked up from the black fur in her lap. "If Sebastian doesn't hurry his ass up I will."

"We will be with you until the Elder comes."

Serena started to say something but was cut off by a huge raindrop hitting her head. The red head looked up as another drop hit and she scrambled off the couch.

"No wonder you showed up early today." She kept the cat covered as Lucien hurried them to the door Edwin was holding open just as the downpour started. "So, what are we going to do now?"

"You could look through your books again. The semester starts only a couple days from now."

Serena stuck her tongue out at the idea.

"Or, you could procrastinate again and do something else."

"Now, you're talking." She thought about it for a minute while watching the rain. "I have some movies in the boxes we brought back."

Edwin shook his head as Serena walked into the bedroom and started rummaging through the boxes. Noir was placed on the floor and stuck his head in the nearest box as well. A smile came over her face as she looked at something in her hand.

"What is it?" Lucien leaned against the door frame.

Serena held up her copy of Black Butler.

The demon laughed and waved her out into the living room. Serena set herself up on the couch as Lucien showed the hidden DVD player and started the first disc. Noir jumped into her lap and settled on her chest as it started.

Hours later, Ciel was in Paris and had found a black cat outside his hotel. Serena looked at the cat on her chest with suspicion.

"I swear, if that's you Sebastian, you come out of that right now or you're never going to get any."

Noir just looked at the red head. He meowed and rubbed his head on her chin.

"I think that's your answer." Lucien smiled from his normal chair.

"Maybe."

Edwin looked over. "That's a very powerful threat, my lady."

*****************A Demon's Mate******************

Well into the semester, Serena had adopted a new routine. On days that she had class, Teo would show up in the morning and drive them both to campus. Afterward, Lucien or Edwin would be there to pick her up and she would go home to work on the pieces in her studio while Teo went do whatever he was working on for Sebastian.

Until Professor Greenville called her into his office a week before the Fall Festival.

The red head fidgeted in her seat, knowing what their little talk was going to be about. She looked around the office as he settled into his seat, trying to think of anything else.

"Serena," The man started. "I have not seen an entry with your name on it for the Fall Festival."

"That's because I haven't entered anything."

Greenville sighed before leaning forward, resting his clasped hands on his desk. "Several of the professors have expressed a concern this semester. You are working and turning in assignments as usual, but you're not excelling. You're turning in things right before the deadline and they don't seem to have your normal attention to detail."

"I know." She looked away, not able to meet his eyes.

"What happened in Tokyo? Did someone break your concentration? Did something happen that made you lose confidence?"

"Nothing happened," her voice was quiet as she answered.

"Then what is it? That's the only thing that I can see. You were doing amazing, the best student that I ever advised, then you went to Tokyo and everything fell apart."

"I'm getting my work done," she protested.

"Yes, and it's not your normal level of work." He stopped for a moment. "The only professor that hasn't said anything is Prof. James. I figured that Metalwork would be the first one that I heard from."

"I'm really enjoying metalwork."

"Are you wanting to change mediums? You could enter something that is not a painting for the show. That would be fine. But, you need to enter something. Agents from New York are going to be there and you have nothing to show them."

"I'm a...I'm thinking of not going."

Greenville stared at her as he flopped back in his chair. Shock was written across his face as he stared at the red head. Serena couldn't look at him and stared at the desk instead.

"Is this personal problem? A fear of failure?" He shrugged. "A fear of success?"

"No. Yes."

"What does that mean?"

"There is someone and I'm was thinking..."

"Stop." He raised a hand. "Far be it for me to say that it's not a good thing to be with someone. However, I have to wonder about the health of a relationship that would make you give up your dream of a career in this field."

"It's not that." _Well, yeah it is._ "We're thinking of moving." _To Hell._

"There are other alternatives to the New York Institute. None are as good. However, for any of those alternatives, you would still need a portfolio. Which leads us back to your less than stellar work and the Fall Festival."

Serena took a deep breath. "I'll have something."

Greenville raised an eyebrow. "If it's going to be anything like what you've been turning in, don't bother."

She glared at the man and Greenville just returned it. "I'm telling you the truth, Serena. You don't want to show potential employers what you've been turning in recently. It's the same level as anyone else."

' _And that's how I ended up here.'_

Serena stared at the canvas in front of her and looked out the nearby window of one of the school's studios to see Edwin and Lucien sitting outside on the lawn. The blank, white space didn't fill her with the usual excitement. This time it was nothing but pressure and the only thing in her mind was Greenville's disappointed face.

Teo looked over her shoulder from his stool behind her. "Are you going to do anything? I thought you wanted to work here because you couldn't work at the house."

"Just back off."

"Do you want some help?"

"No!" She snapped. "I just want some quiet."

"Are you sure?"

"Will you just go outside with them?" She glared over her shoulder and Teo put his hands up.

"Easy, easy."

"Go outside."

"Alright." He slid off the stool and started for the door. "I don't know why you didn't want to work at the house if you wanted to throw everyone out."

After he had left the room, Serena threw the brush she was holding and stalked away from the canvas. She was pacing when footsteps came into the room.

"What?!" Serena glared at the person expecting to see one of her demons. Instead, Nadine stopped just inside the door and the red head took a breath to calm herself. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else."

"Today not going so well?"

"You could say that." Serena went over and picked up her brush again. She carefully put the brush into the case she had brought from home, listening to Nadine moving in the background.

"I wanted to ask you something. About the Fall Festival."

"No, I don't have anything entered." Serena violently rolled the brush case up and snapped it shut.

"That's great!"

The red head glared at her and Nadine put her hands up.

"Okay, maybe it's not. But, I was wondering if you could help me."

Serena sighed as she waited for the same flattery and then request that everyone else had done since she started school. Nadine figured out what she was waiting for and waved her hands around.

"No, no. It's not like that. I don't need help with a piece." The blonde stopped. "Well, no, I guess it is that. I need a model."

"A model? You're medium is paint, like mine."

"I know." Nadine smiled, obviously excited as she came closer. "There's a group of us and we got special permission from the Dean."

"For what?" Serena couldn't help but want to step back from the look in the other girl's eyes. She picked up her brush set and pulled the canvas she had taken off the easel.

"A body painting exhibit."

Serena's dropped the canvas in her hands, the sound echoing off the walls like a gunshot in the mostly empty room.

"You mean...like naked."

"Yeah. Well, you wouldn't be completely naked. The only way the Dean would let us do it was if we agreed to find some way to not have everything out there. We found this stuff that covers your...you know, and you can paint over it just like skin. It's okay and your business isn't hanging out. And we found these pasty things that go over your nipples. So, basically we'd doll-ize you first."

Serena stared at the other girl's hopeful expression for a minute before shaking her head. "No, no. No. I couldn't do that."

Nadine looked crushed as Serena picked up the rest of her things.

"Are you sure? Because we're doing this koi pond and I was thinking that I could do something with your hair. And you have a rockin' body. I bet you would look great naked." Nadine stopped for a minute. "That's a weird thing to say, isn't it? Forget I said that."

Serena watched the girl continue to babble and saw Edwin and Lucien notice that there was someone in the room with her out of the corner of her eye. She shook her head but it was already too late, they were heading around to the side entrance closest to the studio.

 _'If it's going to be anything like what you have been turning in, don't bother.'_

Serena hung her head at the doorway as Greenville's voice came through her head. Everything starting crashing in at once. The waiting, the future she had planned being thrown in the toilet, showing her father that she could make it on her own. That wouldn't happen now. She'd probably just disappear and he'd think that he was right all along.

The red head turned back. "You know what? I'll do it."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Nadine screamed as she ran forward and hugged the other girl. Serena noticed Edwin with a deadly look on his face and pushed the blonde away.

"Sorry, sorry." Nadine pushed her hair back and smiled again. "We need eight hours before the Festival starts."

"Eight hours?"

"It's a lot of work and it has to be done on site. That's the earliest that the Dean would let us into the space."

Serena sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. "Alright. I'll be there."

Edwin took her arm, not bothering to acknowledge the other girl in the room. "We really should be getting home."

"Right. I'll see you then."

"Just remember, eight hours," Nadine called as Edwin pulled Serena away.

Serena waved as Edwin pulled her as gently as possible out of the room and down the hall. Lucien came up on her other side, taking her bag, as they walked to the parking lot. Edwin always managed to find a space close to the door and she was happy about it today as she felt the anger pushing at her from both sides.

Once inside, Edwin started the engine and looked at the girl in the backseat, who was staring out the window.

"I told you to stay away from her, my lady. She wants something from you."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, she wants help with her piece for the Festival. How evil of her."

The demon glared at her from the mirror. "And you agreed to this?"

"Yes."

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. "Why?"

"Why not? It's not like I'm turning anything in that I've done."

"Hold on a minute." Lucien stopped his partner from speaking. "What exactly are you helping her with?"

"She needs someone to help with the presentation. It's no big deal." _Except I'll be naked._

"Why do you have to be there so early?"

"Set up." _It takes a long time to start a piece from scratch and finish it in one day._

"We will be with you." Edwin nodded his head, subject closed as far as he was concerned.

"No one but the students are allowed in before the Festival starts." _And thank the Lord for that. Your heads might explode._

She saw Edwin's grip on the steering wheel tighten and felt her own anger rise.

"If I remember, I don't have to really explain anything to you, Edwin." Serena crossed her arms over her chest and returned the demon's glare.

"It is my duty to protect you."

"I'm not doing anything dangerous."

"Having anything to do with someone with that level of greed is always dangerous."

The red head raised an eyebrow. "I take it Nadine would be a great snack."

"She'd be a four course meal." He turned around to look at her with swirling red eyes for a moment before going back to the road in front of him.

Serena stopped at that and wondered if he was exaggerating, if that was why she felt uncomfortable around the other girl. Shaking her head, she stared at the back of the demon. "There's going to be plenty of people around, Edwin. It's a group presentation."

The demon stared at her in the rear-view again. "How many people?"

"Almost twenty."

"You are not going to be alone with her at any time?"

"No." _I don't think so._

"I don't like it."

"Too bad." Serena raised an eyebrow. "I don't answer to you, remember?"

*********************A Demon's Mate******************

The day of the Festival dawned bright and clear. Noir was fluffing the blankets over her chest when her alarm went off, his purring taking the edge off the beeping from the table beside the bed.

Serena wanted to puke.

She took her time getting out of bed and getting into the shower. She had to be cleaned and waxed before the paint would adhere like it was supposed to. It hadn't been easy to explain to Edwin and Lucien that she had wanted to go to a salon yesterday. Lucien was always happy to trim her hair and, surprisingly, was a steady hand with a manicure. They didn't understand why she wanted to go to a human.

Even harder to get them to agree for her to go into a back room alone with the woman.

' _I want to try it.'_ She had told them of the waxing.

 _'From what I understand, it's a rather painful process.'_ Lucien looked to the back of the salon. _'The Elder would not wish for you to make such a beauty choice.'_

 _'It's not for him. It's for me.'_

Standing under the spray, Serena tried to calm herself. "It's just one night. It won't even be the whole night. There are other presenters that will be using the room."

Finished rinsing out her hair, Serena stepped out of the shower as Lucien was knocking on the door.

"Breakfast is ready."

"I'll be there in a minute." The red head looked at herself in the mirror and tried to ignore the dread pooling in her stomach.

When she came out, both demons noticed the drawn look on her face. Lucien raised an eyebrow at the jeans and t-shirt she was wearing.

"You're going to present a piece in that?"

"No, Nadine has something for me to wear." Serena ignored the narrowing of Edwin's eyes as she took her seat.

Playing with the eggs on her plate, the red head just couldn't get up the want to eat. Her stomach was in knots about tonight, as well as Lucien and Edwin's reaction to her presentation. She didn't think that she could hide from them all evening, nor did she think the demons would approve of their exhibition.

 _'Too bad. It doesn't matter what they think. Right.'_

"Are you feeling ill, my lady?" Edwin looked at the food she hadn't eaten.

Serena shook her head. "I'm just nervous."

"Perhaps you should call Nadine and tell her that you are not coming."

"No, it's too late to get someone else. I'd kill my model if they backed out at the last minute."

The demon stood taller. "She would not be allowed to harm you."

"It's a figure of speech, Edwin." She pushed the plate away. "I'm always nervous before a showing. Of course, not normally like this. But that's just because it's not my work I'm showing. If I do something wrong, it's not just my neck this time."

Teo chose that moment to bounce through the door and take the pressure off of Serena. The younger demon greeted them with a large smile as he took the stool next to her and leaned on the counter.

"Are you ready?"

"I guess." Serena sighed. "You know, I've been so stuck in my own problems that I never got to ask what you're presenting tonight."

Teo smiled as he dug into his pocket and pulled his hand back out, closed.

"Ta-da!" He opened his hand and showed the three pieces of metal in his palm.

An origami crane danced in Teo's palm as well as a cat and a rabbit, all made from metal that had been worked into thin lines. Decorative curls were worked around each body to make them more stylized and unique. None of them was more than an inch high.

"Awesome." Serena stared at the pieces. "They're so cute."

"Shouldn't they be bigger?" Lucien looked over her shoulder as Serena picked up the crane.

"No." Serena turned around to show him. "The smaller they are, the higher the degree of difficulty."

"Yeah, let's see that reaper tell me that I have no talent now." Teo twitched as he took back the crane and closed his hand around them again. "Are you ready to go?"

"My lady?"

"Its fine, Edwin. Really." She slid off the stool and grabbed her bag from the island. "I'll see you at the show tonight."

Lucien caught Teo as they were headed out the door. "I want you to find out what this presentation is that she'll be doing."

"Relax. Remember what I said, let her live a little bit." He shrugged off the other demon's arm and plastered the smile back on his face as he went to meet Serena at the car.

******************A Demon's Mate****************

Teo waved goodbye as he pulled away from the curb to head for the studios until the administration let the other artists into the gallery to set up. Serena looked up at the pretty colonial architecture. The first building on campus, all the others had been built to match this one and it made sense that the first was reserved to showcase the students and professor's work.

She was earlier than Nadine had told her to be and the urge to take a walk, to put this off for a minute more was almost overwhelming. One of the double doors opened before she could make up her mind and the decision was made for her.

Another student that Serena recognized but couldn't remember the girl's name stood in the doorway. She was about as tall as Serena with hair dyed hot pink and way more makeup than she needed. The girl stared at Serena a moment before smiling, reminding the red head of the cat that ate the canary.

"I can't believe that Nadine was telling the truth." She pulled Serena into the room. "No one thought that you would actually do it."

Serena stopped dead at the sight of so many naked people. Men and women were lined up in various poses in front of the far wall, and down the room, separate stations had been set up with paint, air brush and artists running back and forth. On the back wall, a massive backdrop was hung showing a koi pond and greenery that took over the space. In the center of the room were short pedestals that the models were to stand on after the reveal.

"Oh, you're here." Nadine set down the brush she was using to show a technique to another artist and smiled as she came down the middle of the room. "I was worried you were going to bail at the last minute."

"I thought about it."

"I'm glad you didn't." Nadine grabbed her wrist and started for a door on the side of the room. "We have to get you prepped and then we'll start painting."

"Prepped. I'm not sure how much more prepped I can get."

"You went with the wax?"

"Yeah." Serena winced at the memory.

"Thank you. It makes skin so much easier to paint on." Nadine led them to a curtained off area of the smaller room and went inside with her. "Alright, take it off."

Serena stared at the other girl for a moment before sliding the jacket from her shoulders. Nadine was quick the whisk the leather away and waited for the next piece. Her hands stilled on the hem of her shirt.

"I take it you're not going to be auditioning for Playboy anytime soon?" Nadine smiled as she waited.

"No," the red head snapped.

"Well, come on. It's not like you have anything that I don't."

Serena laughed a little as she took a deep breath and lifted the shirt over her head. The blonde took it quickly and held it with her jacket. The jeans were easier to get off once she had already started but Serena stopped again when she reached around to unhook her bra.

"You're reaction is not so unusual, you know." Nadine waited with a smile. "It has nothing to do with what you look like. We are a rather prudish society by nature and it takes a lot for most people to take their clothes off."

Nodding, the red head unhooked her bra and slid the straps down her arms. She didn't look at the other girl as she slid her panties off and handed them over with everything else. When she did look up Nadine was staring at her with a smile, but there was something in her eyes that made Serena shiver and had her wishing that she had listened to Edwin.

"Sorry, but I knew that you would have a perfect body for this." Nadine apologized, not sounding the least bit sorry, as she grabbed something from the shelf nearby. She held up a pair of nude, boy short underwear. "You can see the tag is still on these. They're spanky-new. Fabric makes it a little harder to blend in, but the Dean wouldn't accept anything else."

"Thanks." It wasn't nearly enough clothing but Serena was just glad to put something on.

Nadine dropped Serena's clothes on the shelf where she picked up the undies and swiped a package from the next shelf down. The red head jumped with a yip when Nadine touched her breast.

"Sorry," she said as she looked away from what the blonde was doing.

"You're going to have to get used to me touching you today."

"I just wasn't ready for it."

"Okay." Nadine took a round circle off a piece of paper. "I'm going to push your nipple in and put this over it."

Serena nodded and stared at the wall. A minute later, Nadine straightened and waved to the curtain.

"Here we go."

The red head took another deep breath and straightened her shoulders before ducking around the curtain. Several of the other models looked at Serena as she followed Nadine to her place on the painting but she kept looking forward. Once in the little space she had chosen, Nadine started pulling little jars of paint out of her bag and lining them up on the floor beside her.

Serena jumped again as someone put their hand on her shoulder. She turned to see one of her former professors. Professor Brighten was 70 if she was a day, but that didn't slow the woman down. Much taller than Serena with a full head of long, white hair, the older woman had embraced her aging and made it work for her. Although an amazing artist, Serena was always shocked by how proper the woman was.

' _She honestly reminds me of Lizzie's mother. What is she doing in the middle of this?'_

"How are you this morning, Serena?" Professor Brighten smiled at the red head, seeming to have no problem keeping her eyes on the girl's face.

"Okay. I guess."

"It's a little unnerving, isn't it?"

Serena nodded as Nadine was pulling something out of her pack on the floor. The blonde handed over a sheet of paper into the professor's waiting hand.

"This is my concept. I was really glad that Serena agreed to be my model because I can pull her hair into my design."

"Hmm." The woman looked over the paper and then to Serena. "I think that using her hair is going to be difficult. The color may fit with the fish, however, it will be very hard to make it look like it's not hair."

"Well, yeah but..."

Brighten held up a hand. "Trust me, you don't have the time. Slick her hair back and paint it to blend in."

Nadine pouted as she looked over the backdrop but nodded.

"What are you doing here, Professor? I didn't think this is something that you would be interested in." Serena tried to get comfortable as it looked like it was going to be a long time before there was any paint covering her skin.

"The Dean was insistent that I approve the project designs. He figured that I would keep the students from anything outlandish." The woman smiled and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Little does he know, I am fascinated by some of the work that I have seen already from other artists in this area."

Serena winced as Nadine pulled her hair back and twisted the length into a bun that she stuck a paint brush through.

"Remember, you're going to have to start painting very soon to have any hope of finishing." Professor Brighten waved to the two girls as she moved to the next station.

"Right." Serena looked up at the ceiling as Nadine started moving her body where she wanted it.

*******************A Demon's Mate******************

Hours later, Serena had to admit, she blended in nicely. The canvas that formed their backdrop had been set so that about a foot of it rolled down on the floor. Nadine had eventually decided, after putting a base coat down on her entire body, to have Serena lay down with one arm curled around her head and the other holding her steady against the floor. The worst part of the whole thing, she couldn't move or everything was ruined. Her left leg and arm had fallen asleep hours ago.

Serena listened to the quiet voices next to her and remembered that the artist next to them was having his model stand for the presentation. Which meant the other girl had been standing the entire time.

 _'I probably would've passed out by now if I had had to stand.'_

The red head closed her eyes as Nadine was starting on her face. The tablet the other girl held showed the canvas behind Serena and what should be depicted.

"You would think that they would have turned the heat up a little higher."

Nadine squeaked when Serena moved a small bit to see the girl that had spoken. When the blonde had moved her back into the perfect position, she answered the model next to them.

"You can't sweat. The paint might run," Nadine answered shortly and started on a fish that would cover half of Serena's face.

Professor Brighten clapped her hands from the center of the room. "There is only one hour left before our guests start arriving. Remember, you still have to pack up your kits and clean up the room before anyone can be let in."

Nadine whined as she moved faster.

Lucien recognized the pulsing calm that Haagenti had identified for him and Edwin as a way to find Serena wherever she wandered off. Tracing the feeling, he realized that he was in the right room and started searching for what was being presented here. However, the people were standing in groups talking, nothing was being displayed except a large painting on the back wall.

Confused, the demon stayed where he was. He could feel there were more humans in the room than he was seeing. Slowly, shapes started to stand out. He heard breathing and traced its source to the painting. His eyes could see the rise and fall of several different chests and the rest of their bodies filled in.

 _'I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die.'_

The mantra repeated through Lucien's head as he realized what he was looking at. The humans around him talked and asked questions of each other, still confused as to what was being displayed. He tried to get closer but ropes held everyone back about eight feet from the painting.

"Everyone, if I could have your attention." An older woman walked in front of the painting with a smile on her face as she raised her arms to bring everyone's attention to her. "I am Professor Brighten and I would like to thank everyone for attending our annual Fall Festival. Every year, in addition to individual pieces, we like to do one large project that showcases several of our students and their various talents working together. And this year is no exception. You will notice that there are pedestals set around the room and we would like you to allow the models and artists through and then feel free to take a closer look at the presentations."

The woman stepped away, allowing everyone to see the large painting again and Lucien felt the weight of doom crush him farther. Eyes opened and several people gasped as the models started to move, standing and walking away from their background. Everyone clapped and stepped out of the way as the models moved to their places. Several seemed shocked but still smiled as the artists helped their models up onto the raised platforms.

Lucien slid between two women and came around Serena's side so she could see him.

"Please get down." His voice was quiet as he looked around before coming back to her. "You have no idea...he's going to...just please get down."

The red head looked at him, the pedestal giving her enough height to be a little taller than the demon. She tried to smile but he could see the discomfort in her eyes.

"It's alright, Lucien. It's only a few minutes."

"You don't understand who's going to be here tonight. Please, you have to get off the floor."

She looked like she wanted to follow him, to take the hand that he offered and hide away from the people that were crowding closer and pushing him back. He saw her lift her head higher, resolve soaking into every muscle of her body.

"It'll be fine. I promised to do this." Serena looked at him one more time as Lucien shook his head. "I thought you would understand a promise."

"She's right, you know." Both jumped at Lucifer's voice. "Very bad business to break an agreement."

The Fallen stood behind Serena in a beautiful black suit, a glass of champagne in his hand and a smirk on his face. His hair was slicked back and Serena wondered for a moment if he had cut it. When he moved, a sleek, white tail of hair was revealed falling down his back.

"What are you doing here?" Serena hissed as she turned to look for Nadine. The blonde had joined a group that was looking at another model a short distance away.

"I have an interest in art." He moved around to stand in front of the red head. "And you do make a beautiful piece."

"Doesn't she?" Nadine smiled as she came up on Serena's side and looked at her model again.

"The artist, I presume." Lucifer smiled as Nadine nodded. "I complement your work on a living canvas. Several cultures have worshiped the human body as the ultimate piece of artwork." His eyes glowed when they turned back to Serena. "I imagine it was quite difficult to work with Serena."

"Not at all. Serena is an excellent model." Nadine brushed Serena's arm with her fingertips, the smile on her face reserved for someone looking at a favorite possession.

Lucien started to growl but stopped at Lucifer's hand on his shoulder. The Fallen leaned over, brushing his lips along the demon's ear as he looked at the door. "I believe that you are about to have bigger problems. Her surprise is here."

The demon spun to look at the door and searched the people coming in.

Serena watched them, suspicious, but there was nothing she could do with Nadine standing there. She turned back to the blonde, forcing a smile.

"Why don't you find Professor Greenville, Nadine? He has to see all the pieces to grade them."

"Oh, that's right." The blonde touched her again. "Don't go anywhere."

As soon as she was gone, Serena spun on the two.

"What's going on?"

Lucifer answered with a smirk. "Nothing. My real reason for coming was to extend an invitation from my mate. Regina wishes you to visit after you are settled into your demon's home."

"Okay." Serena blinked at him for a moment. "You're running errands?"

"Of course. Whatever my Regina wants, I am happy to deliver. She loved the necklace, by the way and says 'thank you'."

"You took the necklace."

"Yes, but I would not have had it if you hadn't called me."

"Undertaker called you."

Lucifer sneered at the name his son had taken. "Aelius called me for you. Therefore, you called me."

"Great." Serena turned to let another group look at the fish and flowers that decorated her skin. "How did you take the necklace, anyway? I thought that you couldn't take anything through the gate."

Lucifer shrugged. "It's my gate."

The red head rolled her eyes.

"This is why you did not enter a piece of your own?" Professor Greenville appeared out of the crowd, interrupting their conversation, and stood in front of the pedestal. Anita and Nadine arrived right behind him. "You were helping another student?"

"Yeah." Serena tried to smile, but just couldn't.

The man tried to look her over but ended up putting a hand over his eyes. Lucifer smirked at his reaction and covered his laugh with a cough. Finally, Greenville waved her to lean down so he could look at the blending and fish that covered her face. Serena closer her eyes again so he could see the full effect.

"The detail work is very good. She used the curve of your cheekbone to give the koi movement." Anita smiled as she lightly traced the fish and turned to Nadine. "And I love the blending of color to make Serena fade into the water."

"Oh, turn around." Nadine waited for the red head to turn and pointed out the foliage shown on the painting that she had recreated with more fish across her back and legs.

Serena had no one to look at but Lucien and Lucifer. The Fallen had disappeared and Lucien was frantically looking around them as if he expected an attack at any moment. She had never really seen the demon afraid. It wasn't helping her to stay calm.

"The detail is impressive for the amount of time that you had." Her adviser touched her thigh but quickly pulled his hand away.

The murmuring around them started to get louder and Serena saw several people talking and pointing at the models. Dean Mathis was in the doorway and looking toward Professor Brighten. She saw him make a discreet cutting motion and let out a sigh of relief.

Lucien shivered as power ghosted along his skin. He looked around and saw that he was the only one affected by the feeling that moved through the room. The demon recognized the tactic used by Elders to make sure that their prey was safe when stepping into a crowded, enclosed space.

He eyes darted to the door. _'No, no. Not now.'_

The Elder followed his current Master easily through the double doors. Crimson eyes scanned the three rooms that could be seen from the front doors as Lucien looked for Edwin. The larger demon was in the room across the hall with Teo and noticed Lucien's look. The blonde motioned toward the Elder but Edwin just nodded.

Lucien looked behind him and noticed that two of the models could be seen from the doorway. He pointed to one of the few men that had agreed to model.

Edwin shook his head slowly and the blonde nodded. He put a hand over his face for a moment and started moving around people to intercept the Elder.

But it was too late.

From his place just behind his Master, the Elder could see straight into the largest room. All three demons saw the exact moment that he recognized his mate and all three flinched. Lucien watched in horror as the Elder stared at his mate. He looked back to see the girl kneeling down so that a guest could get a closer look at her back. When she stood up again, the man touched the fish on her hip lightly and a tremor went through the floor.

Lucien looked back to the Elder to see the older demon's eyes flash swirling red and felt those eyes rest on him. He felt the words he mouthed as though they were screamed right next to him.

 _'Get her down. Now!'_

He nodded quickly and turned back to Serena. Professor Greenville was still standing beside the red head, carefully not looking at her.

"I understand the degree of difficulty and I am impressed." Greenville looked between the two girls. "Both with the execution as well as the courage to stand in front of these people as a living exhibit. You will both receive full marks for your presentation and I suggest that you take a picture before taking all that off. With that said, please get down."

"What?" Nadine stared at the man.

"Nadine, you cannot tell me that any of you," he waved to the other models and their artists. "Thought that you would be allowed to stay out the entire night. We are an arts school but many of those that donate to the school, as well as those that are on the board of trustees, are very traditional. It is a breakthrough that you were allowed to showcase this at all."

"I guess." The blonde crossed her arms over her chest with a pout.

Anita smiled. "Don't worry. The photographer was in here when you started. He's already gotten pictures and video for those that missed it."

"What?" Serena squeaked.

"The school's website put up photos and video from the Fall Festival every year." Greenville looked at her as though she should have already known that.

Of course she did. Her own work had always been featured in years past. Of course, she had forgotten that this time.

 _'It's only for a year. Then it will be taken down,'_ Serena told herself.

"There will be copies of the photos for both of your portfolios." Anita smiled. "It should be enough."

"Well, it'll have to be." Nadine huffed and reached out a hand to help Serena down.

Nadine didn't see the red head mouth _thank you_ to Professor Greenville. The man nodded and moved to the next model.

"Eight hours of work for a half hour of stage time." Nadine grumbled as they made their way back to the door. She turned to look back at Serena again and the red head again tried not to shiver. "Still, it's perfect. Just like I knew it would be."

Her fingers drifted over the designs on the red head's body and Serena looked away, trying not to show how uncomfortable she was with the touch. Lucien was following them and noticed the expression on her face as she looked away. But that wasn't what made her stop in the middle of the room.

The scent of spiced vanilla made her gasp and she walked away from Nadine. Both blonde's words were drown out as Serena looked through the people surrounding her for a familiar head of black hair. Nothing else mattered, she tried to push Lucien aside when he moved her toward the door at the side of the room but the demon wouldn't budge. She knew that he was saying something but didn't bother trying to pay attention.

He was coming in the door when she stopped pushing on Lucien. Serena smiled as she saw the tall form clothed in his favorite black and perfect as always. The button down shirt and slacks were not what she was expecting but they made him blend into the crowd in a way his butler's uniform never would have. Crimson eyes were taking in the entire room but when they settled on her she saw the flash of swirling red. Anger was written in the tightness around his eyes and Serena flinched back a little. Lucien's coat came around her and she held onto the fabric as her demon looked away.

"He doesn't want to see you right now."

"But..." Serena started forward again and those eyes turned back to her. Seeing crimson flash to swirling once more, black started to edge her vision. She heard Nadine behind her yell out her name as everything disappeared.

****************A Demon's Mate*****************

Lucien caught the red head as she fainted, knowing it was the Elder's doing. He moved quickly to take Serena out of the crowd of people as some of the professors noticed something was going on. Nadine was behind them insisting on calling an ambulance.

"No, no. That's not needed." Lucien smiled at the girl as she opened the back door for him. "She's just fainted. Serena's been a little stressed about this whole thing and it's finally caught up to her."

The black SUV was waiting at the end of the building and the demon was glad for Edwin's attention to detail. Teo hopped out of the backseat and held the door open for him to lay Serena across the seat. He turned back to Nadine as Teo jumped into the front seat.

"Don't worry. We'll get her home and let her sleep tonight. I'm sure you'll see her in class Tuesday. Just like always."

The girl obviously didn't want to leave it at that and looked into the SUV at Serena again. She wanted to come with. Edwin caught her eye from between the front seats and Nadine wondered what she was so upset about. The show had gone great and her work had been appreciated by the people attending. Their exhibit was going to be the talk of the show and probably future exhibitions for some time to come. Someone else might do another body painting presentation, but theirs would always be the first at this school.

Nadine smiled and turned to look up at Lucien again but the man was gone. Looking off the curb, the SUV was gone as well. Shaking her head, the blonde looked around her again and headed back into the show.

On the highway, Teo had his head in his hands in the front seat and was quiet as Edwin laid into him.

"You were told to find out what she was doing." His voice snapped out at the younger demon. "You just let her do this?"

"No! I wouldn't have let her go through with something like that."

"Well, you did. By not bothering to look into the situation, you let it happen."

Lucien looked at the window and let his mind block out the two in the front seats. They were all upset. The Elder would want someone to blame and it was all their faults. They should have insisted, they should have intervened. But they didn't. They let her have a little freedom and she had doomed them all with it.

Serena started to move on the seat and the blonde turned back to her. The girl moved as though she was in pain and he put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Damn it!" He pulled his hand back.

"What is it now?" Edwin looked around from the front seat.

"She's hot."

"What?"

Teo turned to lean over the seats. "Like running a fever hot?"

"Like I've never felt a human this hot, hot."

"Damn it!" Edwin slammed his hand into the steering wheel and jerked the car off to the side of the road. He shoved Teo out of the way and leaned into the backseat to touch the red head's hand. "We need to get her cooler. As soon as possible."

"Teo." Lucien looked up. "You can run faster than either of us. Get her to the house and into the shower. As cold as the water will go."

"Don't put her in the tub. The copper will get too cold." Edwin get out to help his partner take Serena from the backseat.

"I've seen this once before." Teo shivered as he took the girl from Lucien. "When I first became a demon, the Elder that led me from the Pit was angry that Lucifer was looking into his house at the time. He couldn't say anything to the Fallen and he internalized the anger. His mate became very ill until he had calmed down."

"Well, I can't blame the Elder for being angry that his mate was naked in front of a room full of humans." Edwin made sure that the coat was still covering Serena as he looked into the distance. "We need to get him to calm down."

"You go, Edwin. The Elder will listen to you."

The demon nodded and took off into the darkness. Teo made sure that he had a good hold on Serena before disappearing himself, leaving Lucien to get the car back to the house.

Once there, Lucien could hear the water running as he parked the car in front of the small porch. They had only made it as far as the front bathroom and hadn't bothered to turn on the lights. Teo was holding Serena under the spray from the shower. The red head was still unconscious as she moaned in pain and tried to get closer to the water.

"She's still too hot." Teo looked up in a panic.

Lucien touched the girl's forehead. "Her temperature has come down a little."

Teo's hands slipped on her again and he struggled to hold onto the naked girl while not touching anything that would get him killed.

 _'Not that it matters. We're all going to die anyway.'_

"I'll do it." Another form pulled from the shadows around them and both demons shivered. Teo jumped back, slamming into the wall as the other demon slid into the shower and took the girl's body from him.

Lucien helped Teo out of the small stall so that he didn't touch the other demon. Both stood to the side as the other demon held Serena easily with an arm beneath her breasts and moved further into the spray. He growled as he started rubbing the paint off her arms but it didn't come off easily. Whatever had been used to set the color wasn't coming off with just water.

The demon waved his hand and a basin appeared on the floor of the shower, out of range of the water. He took the red head with him to the floor and grabbed the cloth that was in the basin. The water ran darker as he wiped her skin with whatever solution he had made.

"Go to the Elder. Edwin will need help to calm him after tonight."

"Maybe he'll calm down after he kills us," Teo said.

Swirling red eyes shot to the two demons standing in the room. "You think he should spare you?"

"No," Lucien shook his head as he turned for the door. "We should have watched her closer."

*********************A Demon's Mate******************

Edwin kept his eyes staring ahead as the Elder stalked around him.

The house had been dark when he had first arrived and it had given him time to think about what he was going to say. When the Elder had finally returned and settled his Master for the evening, Edwin considered running away.

 _'But there's nowhere far enough.'_

The ground had shook when the Elder had walked out of the house and seen him waiting. His eyes were swirling pools of red and fangs showed inside his mouth. Claws had ripped through the gloves on his hands and small shivers still radiated from the demon as he moved around Edwin, unable to stay still.

"Why did you let her do this?"

The question was growled and Edwin jumped a little.

"She said that she was helping another student. She said nothing of the exhibit being...that."

"You should have asked."

"Yes, Elder."

The growling grew louder as two more jumped over the stone wall separating the lawn from the forest beyond. Lucien and Teo flinched back but dragged themselves to stand in front of the older demon. The blond took his place beside Edwin and waited.

"You two..." The Elder's growl made them flinch again. "Give me a reason. Any reason."

"There is no reason, Elder." Lucien looked at the ground. "We should have been watching her closer."

Edwin jumped a little again when the eyes swung back to him. "I expected you to know better. Why did you let the woman near my mate? You should know better than them. The greed was practically pouring out of her."

"I told my lady to stay away from her."

"It wasn't enough, was it?"

"No, Elder."

"It's my fault." Teo closed his eyes as the Elder's attention focused on him. "I told Edwin and Lucien to give her some space. This morning, Lucien told me to find out what she had agreed to help with and I didn't."

Teo screamed as the Elder's claws ripped into his body and sent him flying across the lawn. When he hit the ground again, the demon flipped onto his back immediately. His hands were shaking as he looked at the damage stretching from his hip across to his shoulder.

Edwin and Lucien listened to the younger demon's screaming in agony as the Elder's venom sunk into his body.

"Your anger is affecting Serena, Elder."

He swung back to Edwin, a wild look on his face. "Maybe she'll learn something."

"You do not mean that, Elder."

A small scream came from the house and the demon looked up to the second floor. The Elder let out a frustrated growl that shook the ground around them.

"I've had enough." The Elder started toward the house and the other two ran to stop him.

"Elder, you don't want to do this. You don't want all this time to be wasted." Lucien grabbed the other demon's arm as his partner grabbed the Elder around the waist and wrapped one his legs around the Elder's leg to stop his movement.

"I don't care anymore. I'm sick of this disgusting human!"

"Elder!"

"Three times. He had three chances, including tonight, to take his revenge. But he just keeps walking away."

"You've spent years cultivating this soul. The power it will give you will be worth the wait." Lucien slid two feet as the Elder moved forward as if they weren't there at all. "His soul will feed you for years and allow you to spend more time with Serena in our home."

A growl split the night and the Elder threw them off. Lucien and Edwin hit the ground hard and rolled to see the older demon standing over them.

"Where is she? All of you are here."

Edwin flinched as the Elder's eyes fell on him alone.

"He followed us from London and is with Serena now."

The Elder swung away from them and stalked across the lawn. They watched as he paced around the grass, growling as he moved. When he came back to Edwin and Lucien, they flinched and waited.

****************A Demon's Mate***************

The demon looked down at Serena and wondered again what it was about the girl that brought such a powerful demon as his Elder to his knees. There was nothing really exceptional about her. She was beautiful to be sure, but not outstanding. He had seen several woman in his lifetime that could beat her in beauty and form. From what he had seen she was difficult, even if the Elder's way was the best course, she fought it on principle. Of course, he had once liked that in a girl. It was amusing to watch. She certainly wasn't the demure, agreeable women of his time. He had met several strong women that held a certain appeal. There was something about a woman that could stand on her own.

Serena, on the other hand, jumped from one disaster to another. Disasters that she handled, but still needed help with. So, it wasn't that.

 _'One day, after you have spent century after millennia returning to an empty room. After you have spent year after year with no one to talk to about what is going on in your mind. After you have no one to trust with your thoughts and fears, that you feel comfortable drifting to sleep around after feeding.'_ The Elder had turned with a dark look in his eyes. _'You will then understand what a mate means to a demon.'_

He truly didn't understand. Being a demon was great. He had thought his human life had given him every advantage that could be found in the world. However, being a demon was different. There was no master that he had to answer to, except the Elder, no rules of society that he had to follow, other than not to draw attention to himself. There were no meetings, no children, no need to make a living as food was easily available. The night he had awakened as a demon, he had truly known what it meant to be free.

So he slept alone after he returned through the gate. His space in their home was his own. There was no one else to please, no one else to accommodate. And anytime he wished to talk to someone, there was always other demons around the tower. He had traveled through the Demon's Lands after his initial training was complete and found there were many other Elders to speak to as well.

Sex wasn't hard to find either, so a mate's appeal wasn't that. Another part of a demon's freedom was the openness where sex was concerned. He could come to the human world and have his choice of partner, or partners. Though, you did have to be careful with humans. Their bodies couldn't handle the full strength of a demon. In times when that was craved, other demons were willing and available.

He never understood Lucien's attachment to his mate. From what he understood, the blonde had not had the pleasure of a demon lover since he had found his mate. He had offered the lust demon some of his own time and been turned down with a smile and a shake of his head.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the body he held shivered. The heat of her skin was dropping rapidly and he turned the water to warm with a thought. Her chest expanded as Serena took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. Her head turned toward the spray and he saw her mouth curve into a smile. His thumb rose before he knew it and rubbed gently against her bottom lip.

Serena moved against his hand. He watched as legs shifted and her back arched. The demon recognized the scent of arousal and smirked. So much for the Elder's statement that mates had no reaction to others. Of course, he always expected that he would be different. That Serena would be different. His fingertips drifted down her neck and the red head stretched to give him more skin to touch.

His watched her with a sly look as he gently moved down her body, keeping his hands in contact with her skin the entire journey. She stretched eagerly as he went, pushing more of her skin to his hands. The demon growled when his fingers met fabric and he made quick work of shredding the offending panties that she had worn.

There was still a little paint still on her skin and he picked up the cloth again. Swiping the cloth along her hip, he followed the line of her thigh to her knee and back up along the soft skin of her inner thigh.

The front door opened and he growled at the interruption. The demon wondered at the feeling that went through him. The need to pick up the girl and take off so he could keep her to himself a little longer.

He decided it was simply not wanting to share a partner.

Edwin appeared in the doorway and snapped his jaws at the sight inside the shower. The older demon ripped the door to the shower stall open and growled down at the two.

"Enough. Get out."

The younger demon glared at Edwin but he didn't move. Lucien stood behind his partner, holding a large towel out to accept the red head. He stood easily, pulling Serena with him and lifting the red head into his arms.

"Honestly, molesting an unconscious mate." Teo held his stomach as he stood in the doorway. "You have a death wish."

The demon snapped his jaws at Teo and smiled when the other demon flinched.

"She was responding."

Edwin grabbed the towel from his partner and wrapped the girl's body. "The Elder is speaking with her." He tapped the side of her head. "You didn't think she was doing it for you, did you?"

The mirror rattled from its place on the wall. He held on as Edwin tried to take the girl from him.

"You think that you're going to fight the Elder for her?" The older demon's voice dropped. "You think that you might actually win?"

"The Elder indulges him too much." Teo scoffed. "That's why he actually thinks he'd have a shot."

He growled as he let go of the girl's body and Edwin nodded, taking Serena and wrapping her body up more securely.

Teo smirked as the others filed past him. The youngest of their group stopped in front of Teo's smirking face and looked at him out of the corner of his eye. Edwin and Lucien saw nothing except Teo hit the floor, holding his side and screaming.

"Damn it!" Lucien pushed past the other demon and knelt next to Teo, looking at the torn flesh of his side.

"That fucking brat!" Teo roared and tried to get up, intent on getting at the other demon. Pain forced him back to the floor.

"You used too much." Lucien grabbed the washcloth that had been used on Serena and tried to wash some of the venom out of the wounds.

"Maybe he'll learn to keep his mouth shut." He raised an eyebrow.

"He already had a dose of venom tonight." Lucien hung his head, looking away from the other demon's agony. "And he didn't say anything that wasn't true. The Elder does let you get away with too much, he does indulge you too much. You're as much of a brat now as you were when you were human."

"That's part of the reason that you were told to stay out of sight until the Elder comes for Serena." Edwin shook his head as he looked down at Teo before pointing to Serena's room where he had laid the red head. "Go on. Back into your disguise as you can't be trusted in that form."

The demon's body grew smaller and fur as black as his hair wrapped around the smaller form. The cat shook itself and stretched before trotting off to the bedroom door that opened by itself for him.

Lucien helped Teo to lay on the floor of the bathroom and froze some of the water around them into ice to lay against his side. He sighed as he looked at his partner.

"Well, now we know why the Elder trusts him to protect his mate but not to be left alone with her."

"I still say he should have left that one at home from the beginning."

"Do you honestly think that brat would have stayed away?" Lucien followed Edwin into the living room. There was nothing more he could do for Teo anyway. "What do we do now?"

"Be thankful that we're still useful."


	48. Chapter 48

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Forty Eight

Serena was confused as she walked through the snow covered gardens of the Phantomhive manor house. When she looked down, she found the pretty green silk dress that she had loved in the past covering her body. Everything was exactly as she remembered when she had left this place months ago. Actually, decades ago. She looked over to where the hedge maze should be, but there was nothing there right now. It could never have grown with Finny around. Something moved out of the corner of her eye and she turned to see the gate to the corner garden sitting open.

Snow crunched under her slippered feet as she walked and she realized that the walkway hadn't been swept. It was the first sign that something wasn't right. She was hot as well, not something that would have happened during an English winter.

A familiar black-clad form appeared around the gate of the corner garden and Serena took off with a smile. She swung into the garden and stopped dead. A large, iron fence ran down the center of the space, the same height as the walls around them, and her demon was on the other side of it.

Serena ran forward and her fingers curled around the cold iron as she smiled at Sebastian.

"Good evening, my mate."

"Sebastian." She smiled as he reached through the bars and touched her cheek. "What's going on?"

"I thought that we should talk."

The red head flinched a little and looked down. "About the show?"

"Among other things."

"Is that why there's a fence?" Her fingers rubbed the rough iron of the fence while she waited.

Sebastian touched the iron between them and Serena noticed that his hands were bare for her to see black nails that faintly resembled claws. "I've been waiting over a hundred years for you. Do you think that I would really put a fence between us now?"

"But, I didn't..." Serena stopped and looked at the design worked into the iron. She'd seen it before. The roses worked into the iron were just like the one she had seen at her grandmother's old Victorian home. It had surrounded the garden and she had been fascinated by it as a child. It was one of the first thing that she'd drawn. She had done several sketches of the one section that held the gate until she had been able to get it perfect. That fence had been her first art class. "I don't understand."

"You're afraid of me."

Her head snapped up. "No, I'm not."

The demon raised an eyebrow and she looked at the iron rose she was touching. It was quiet and she realized he was waiting for her to speak.

"It's not you. I'm afraid of what's going to happen. Of what's going to change."

"To have something, you must first let something else go."

"But, we could stay here. There's the house and...we could just stay there."

Sebastian shook his head. "You would still age even after our bond is completed if you remain in the human world. Trouble will still find you, you would still die eventually. Demons keep their mates in their homes because of the last war with the reapers but, even before that, mates were only brought back for brief amounts of time." He took a deep breath. "I could leave."

"What?"

"I could just leave and you could go back to the life you wanted." He waited for his words to sink in. "For our mating to work, you have to accept me, Serena. If you cannot, then I will leave. That is what the reapers were talking about. There have been mates that have chosen not to accept their demons and have gone back to their human lives."

A tear slipped down her cheek. "I couldn't do that. I'd still be looking for you."

"You wouldn't remember me."

He could see the horror on her face.

"It would fade. Everything. Your memories of the past, the reapers, Edwin, Lucien, Teo. And I would as well."

Tears coursed down her face at the idea. Serena shook her head violently. "I don't want that. I don't think I would be able to do anything then."

"You would go back to way you were before you went to Tokyo. You were doing wonderful then."

"Maybe that's what Greenville was talking about." She scoffed.

"It is." He saw her confusion and explained. "You've always known what you wanted. From the time that you were a child, you've known who you are and what you want. Now, you don't and it's reflected in your work."

She choked back a sob as she looked away from him. "I don't want to lose me."

"Neither do I." He smiled as the fence came down a few inches. "I'm not asking you to change yourself, Serena. I'm only asking you to grow up and be responsible. Something you would have to do anyway. Before you met me, would you have done half the things that you've done in the last few months?"

Serena shook her head.

"You're the one trying to change yourself into someone else, because you're afraid. You think that you can change yourself into something that I won't want and you'll have someone to blame when you're life doesn't work the way you want it to."

"That's kinda stupid." She tried to smile as the fence lowered again.

"Fear causes you to make bad decisions."

"Haagenti said something like that."

"He was my mentor, my teacher. I'm sure that there are many subjects that we share the same view on."

"I don't want you to go, but I don't want to lose everything I have."

"You're scared of what you do not know." The fence came down more, stopping at her chest. "Do you think I would let anything harm you?"

"It's not that. What if..." she looked at the clear sky. "It's stupid, I know, but what if I don't do it right? What if I can't run your house or can't handle you being gone that long? What if your family hates me? I have a feeling I keep screwing up with Lucien and Edwin."

"Do you think I'm going to just drop you there and come back to the human world? I've been storing power this whole time so that I can be there, so I can be with you, as long as possible. It'll be decades before I'm hungry again. There is much to learn but we will have more than enough time for me to teach you what you need to know." He shrugged. "As for my demons hating you. You matter to me more than they do. If they cause a problem, they'll have to go."

"But, that's awful and it would be my fault."

"No, it would be theirs. Either they assimilate with the family or they go. It would be the same if you were there or not."

"We fought all the time."

He leaned on the fence with a smirk. "I think we will always argue about something. I don't want our large arguments again, I believe that comes from two people having to learn about each other, but I miss you telling me that I'm wrong. No one tells me I'm wrong, not even...nevermind."

Serena felt a pout and couldn't stop it. "In that case, it was stupid of you to make a contract when I was going to remember you."

"Yes, but it served a purpose."

"What's that?"

"Well, the meal I'll gain from this soul is nothing to laugh at," he smiled at her. "But more than that, I needed to get away from you."

"Thanks." She glared at him and he laughed.

"I couldn't stay in the shadows anymore. It was easier when you were a child. As you grew, it became harder and harder. I broke when you tried dating and I got too close. I believe that you have regulated the incident to a nightmare and nothing more."

Serena tried to think but he could see that nothing was coming to her. Sebastian sighed and waved her closer. Sliding two fingers under her chin, he pulled her close and laid a kiss on her forehead.

She was back in her childhood room at home. A massive storm raged outside the protection of the house but the growling she heard was coming from inside. Backing against the headboard, she held onto the blanket as hard as she could and looked around the room. Every noise made her jump and the growling got louder and louder. She finally realized the sound was coming from the farthest corner and she strained to see what was there. Two points of swirling red appeared in the black mass of shadows that had taken over the corner and she froze. Staring in horror, the red head couldn't even scream for help. The darkness took shape, moved across the room, to the side of her bed. Serena still couldn't move as the darkness crawled across the small bed to her. She watched as it slid over the sheets, up her legs, taking over every piece of her vision. The swirling red reappeared directly in front of her and the girl couldn't breathe.

Serena came back to herself at the same moment that she had woken up from her nightmare. She remembered she had screamed and her father had come running in. She had tackled the older man, convinced that he could make it go away. It was one of the last times her father had held her like that. One of the last times she had let him that close. Only a week later she had told them about her plan to attend an art school instead of the university that he wanted.

"That was when I offered a contract to my current master." Sebastian pulled her attention back to him. "When you let that human boy touch you. I already knew that you would, but I couldn't control myself anymore. So, I had to put some distance between us."

"Dad convinced me that it was just a nightmare brought on by the storm that night." Her voice was still quiet as she tried to get her breath back.

A ripple went through the corner garden and Sebastian looked behind himself with a growl. When he turned back to her, Serena could see the anger on his face before he buried it beneath a smile.

"I have to go."

The red head tried to grab his arm but her hand went right through him. "We have more things to talk about."

"And we'll have endless time to talk about them later."

She glared at him for a moment. "Master's calling?"

"Yes."

"It was still a stupid move."

"It is taking longer than I had anticipated, but it will be over soon." Something in his voice made her shiver and Serena backed away from the fence that was down to its real world size. "Go on, my mate. I will see you shortly."

******************A Demon's Mate***************

Serena woke with the sun on her face and Noir rubbing his head on her chin. She tried to smile at the cat but it was strained and awkward. Scratching his ears, she gently pushed the feline off her chest and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She noticed that the house was quiet and wondered how long she could hide in here before the demons insisted she face them.

 _'Well, I should at least clean this crap off before then.'_

The red head got up and looked at herself. She was shocked that her skin was bare of paint. Running to the mirror in the bathroom she turned to look at herself and saw all of the paint was gone. Embarrassment took over as she wondered who had washed it off while she was unconscious.

A meow made her look toward the bath as Noir jumped into the large tub. She shook her head with a smile.

"Not today. I'd love to hide out in here but I think that will just make it worse."

A furry, black head popped over the lip of the tub as she turned the water in the shower on.

When she stepped out of her room, Serena saw Teo and Lucien in the living room and Edwin was coming out of the kitchen. As she passed him, the demon held out a plate with a couple slices of toast on it.

"I figured that you wouldn't want anything heavier."

The red head nodded and kept her head down as she settled into a corner of the couch. After a minute of ripping the bread apart, Serena noticed that they were all staring at her. Even Noir had taken the other half of the couch and was staring at her.

"What?" She asked, but she already knew what was coming.

"We're supposed to act like last night didn't happen?" Teo shifted as he leaned against the window by the fireplace.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, I do!" Lucien burst up from his chair and started to pace the room. "What were you thinking to agree to that?"

Serena stared at the plate she was still holding. "I don't know."

"Do you honestly think that the Elder would be proud that his mate was parading around, naked, in a room full of humans?"

"I don't know."

"Why can't you just wait? He knows where you are. He knows what you're doing. Why do you have to keep putting yourself in situations to get his attention? You already have it. Why do you keep trying to kill us?"

"I'm not."

"Really? What did you think was going to happen? Did you think he'd take your mistakes out on you?"

She swallowed hard and looked down again. "I didn't think that he would find out."

"The Elder knows every step you take." Edwin spoke up. "To think that you could do anything without his notice is ridiculous."

"Well, how am I supposed to know that?"

"We keep telling you!" Lucien pulled his hair as he yelled.

The blonde stared at her, waiting for an answer. When none came, he threw his hands up and walked out the door to the deck. The door slammed shut behind him and the demon disappeared down the stairs.

Serena jumped at the sound but stared down at her plate again. Teo moved from his place and started for the front door.

"You're mad at me too?"

He looked down at the red head with a sad expression. "No. It's partially my fault, but the Elder has taken mercy on me. I have accepted my punishment."

"What punishment?"

Teo lifted the hem of his shirt to show her the gouges in his skin from hip to shoulder. Layers of skin had melted back to show the muscle beneath flex as he moved. Serena put a hand to her mouth and tried to convince the few bites of toast that she had forced down to stay there.

"Some demons carry a poison, a venom, that can be released through their claws." Edwin explained while Teo put his shirt back down. "It will take some time to heal all that."

"I'm sorry," she whispered as the demon slipped out the front door.

The house was quiet as Serena sniffled, trying not to cry. When she looked up, Edwin was watching her.

"You're not leaving too?" She spoke quietly.

"One of us must stay with you at all times."

"Then, you have a lecture for me?

"Would it do any good?" She looked up at the tone of his voice and saw his blank expression. "It's obvious that you have no respect for the beings that you will one day rule over."

"Yes, I do." She looked at the toast her fingers were ripping apart.

"You're actions say otherwise." Edwin was tired and it showed. "I see no reason to council you. You knew what you were doing was wrong. Why else would you have hidden it from us? I count myself lucky that I will move to Elder Haagenti's house soon."

"What?" Serena dropped the toast back on her plate.

"I will remain in the human world and watch over the Elder's holdings in London while he returns to his home."

"No. I'll talk to Sebastian..."

Edwin held up a hand to stop her.

"It was decided that I would go to London before last night. I am grateful that the offer still stands and that Elder Haagenti will welcome me in his own house permanently after I am removed from my current family."

"Why?"

"It is obvious that I can no longer perform my main function for my current Elder, nor do I hold his trust." He steepled his fingers as he stared at a point beyond her. "My replacement will arrive shortly. Today or tomorrow."

Serena stared in horror at the matter of fact tone.

"Lucien will still be here with you. He has a certain measure of leniency since he was mainly here as a companion to begin with, as well as the fact that he has a mate that must be thought of also. The Elder hopes that Emily will be a better companion to you once you are in his house."

"I'll talk to him." It was all she could say.

He laughed shortly as he shook his head. "You're still not listening. I don't want to be there for the next disaster you will lead them into. Last night has shown me that I still value my own life."

Serena felt the tears run down her face and shot off the couch. Edwin watched as she ran to her room and shut the door.

Where she stayed the rest of the day.

That night, after Noir had returned from the woods, Edwin left the house. The demon only said that he had something to take care of before he left the Elder's family.*

*****************A Demon's Mate*******************

The next morning, Serena still hadn't figured out what she was going to do. She knew that there had to be some way to fix this whole mess but she just couldn't see it. Whatever she was going to do had to be soon. Her next day of classes was tomorrow and she kept feeling that then it would be too late.

When she came out of her room to let Noir outside, Edwin was standing beside the island and Lucien was in the living room. Neither of them said anything to her as she opened the door onto the deck and let the cat out. When she turned around, Edwin was sliding a plate onto the island and she walked over slowly.

Looking at the demon, Serena tried to say something. She opened her mouth but nothing would come out.

"Just eat your breakfast, my lady."

She looked down as he turned away, cleaning up the small space he had used to make the french toast she was staring at, what she always wanted when she was upset. Behind her, she could feel Lucien staring. Although her stomach was still rolling, she thought it would be more insulting to not eat what the demon had made for her and forced a piece down her throat.

Both demons looked at the door but Serena did nothing, figuring it was Teo come early. Lucien stood as the doorbell rang. The red head was confused as she looked at Edwin, however the demon did nothing.

"Oh, hell no!"

Edwin and Serena looked to the door. Edwin moved to stand in front of her but she leaned to look around him.

"I'm not taking orders from you."

They heard laughter from the door. "Best get used to it, honey bunch. I was specially picked for this."

Serena recognized the voice and slid off her stool. "Corrine?"

The brunette was dressed in shocking red from her spike heels to her lipstick. Red framed sunglasses covered half of her face as she smiled at Lucien and pushed him to the side so she could stalk into the house. Edwin stepped away as Corrine came toward Serena. The demon looked at her jeans with the knees ripped out and ratty sweatshirt and couldn't keep the sneer off her face.

Corrine pulled her sunglasses down enough to see her eyes. "Really?"

Serena looked at Lucien and saw the same look on his face that she had.

 _'I guess Sebastian really was mad at me.'_

******************A Demon's Mate******************

After showing Corrine around the little house and listening to her disparaging comments, they all decided to reconvene in the living room. Noir had appeared at the door again, against his normal routine, and was carried by Serena as they went. The red head figured the glares and sneers sent the little cat's way meant that Corrine wasn't a fan of felines and she wanted to keep Noir close to her.

"Now," Edwin started as they sat down. "Lucien will be taking over cooking for Serena. Teo is still going to pick her up in the morning on days that she has classes to attend. Lucien will pick her up from class except on days when he has something to do for the Elder. On those days you will be expected to pick her up."

"She can't drive?" Corrine looked up from her nails long enough to stare at Edwin.

"You know, I'm right here." Serena glared up at them from the couch.

"You act like an irresponsible child and you get treated like an irresponsible child. Now, hush." She put a finger over her lips. "This is adult time."

Serena jumped up from the couch, setting Noir on the cushion as she faced the three demons. Her coming tirade was interrupted by Teo coming into the house with much less enthusiasm than he normally had. As he walked they could see that he was careful how he stepped so as not to jar his abdomen. He stopped at the edge of the living room and noticed the new demon.

"Corrine?" He smiled and reached out to hug the other demon. "What are you doing here?"

"She is taking over for me," Edwin answered.

"What?" Teo looked over quickly and clutched his stomach at the fast movement.

"What happened to you?" Corrine lifted his shirt and whistled at the damage. "Damn."

"The Elder was angry."

"I'll say." Her fingers ran above the marks on his side. "These aren't the Elder's. They're too ragged, too much venom was used."

She looked at the cat that had jumped to the floor with his tail wrapped around himself. "You know, punishing a member of the house isn't you're place."

"Oh, my God!" Serena looked at the cat. "He's a demon too?"

"You never noticed?"

"No." She backed into the couch as Noir looked toward her. "I've taken him in the bath with me."

Corrine waved it off. "That's his problem to work out with the Elder."

"Why don't I feel the same around him as I do other demons? It doesn't bother me to touch him."

Teo shrugged. "The fur blocks most of it. Also, he doesn't have as much power in that form."

"Although," Edwin said as he cocked his head to the side. "You didn't have a problem with him in his normal form either. He was the one that washed your paint off the other night."

Lucien growled as he glared at the feline. "Among other things he did."

"Why do I not even want to know?" Serena put a hand over her eyes and tried to shut them all out.

"Oh, you don't."

"That bad, huh?" Corinne smiled as she looked at the cat. "Is it bad enough to knock him off that little pedestal the Elder keeps him on?"

Noir glared at them before turning his back and flicking his tail up in the air as he stalked toward Serena.

"It is," Edwin answered with a glare.

"What did you do?" Serena looked at her little friend.

"He took your bath a little far."

Noir jumped onto the arm of the couch and started to fluff the fabric. Serena watched as he stared at her, purring loudly, his eyes half closed. She could just imagine what he was thinking.

"Great, another pervert."

Noir rubbed against her arm and Corrine smirked.

"Evidently, he liked what he touched."

"Why didn't anyone you do anything? You all keep talking about how you're supposed to protect me and he's still here?"

Lucien blushed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "None of us can physically move him."

"What?"

"He is stronger than us, although he is the youngest." The blonde still refused to look at the cat that had sat up a little taller at the other demon's confession. "Edwin might have been able to take him, if he had caught him by surprise. Even then, it's a big maybe."

Edwin looked at the cat that had turned to stare at him. After a moment, he shook his head.

"Haagenti said something about Sebastian training another Elder." Serena looked at Lucien as Noir's tail swished back and forth. The blonde nodded as he waved at the cat that was slowly creeping closer to her.

"I see." She opened her arms and the cat slipped easily into her lap. The red head scratched under Noir's chin as he purred louder. "Let me show you something."

She kept the cat snuggled against her as she got off the couch and walked to the doors leading to the deck. She rubbed her cheek against the top of his head while opening the door and threw the cat outside. Claws scrambled on the wood deck as she slammed the door shut and locked it behind her.*

"Oh, that was so hard." She rolled her eyes as she came back to the rest of them.

"True," Edwin said as he started for the front door. "However, he would never have allowed any of us close enough for that tactic."

"Where are you going?"

The demon turned and gave her a look. "London. You're new guardian is here and I am to meet my new Elder, Haagenti, as soon as possible."

"He's waiting at the townhouse." Corrine waved as she took a seat in the living room.

Serena looked at the floor as she was reminded of why the woman was here in the first place. She was motionless as Lucien walked around her and stopped the other demon at the door and she was reminded of what Haagenti had told her about Lucien and Edwin being Sebastian's most trusted demons, the ones that had been with him the longest. Edwin's leaving was a punishment for all of them. Even Sebastian.

Walking to the two by the door, she still didn't know what to say. Time was up and she never found a way to fix her mistake. Maybe it didn't exist. At least, not right now. The red head stared at the floor as Lucien stepped back to let her face Edwin.

"My lady?"

With tears running down her face, Serena launched herself at the demon and wrapped her arms around him. Lucien stepped forward but he waved them off. Even Noir had stopped scratching at the back door and stared through the glass. Edwin didn't touch her though.

"My lady, it is not right for you to touch another demon." His voice was quiet as he held his arms away from her.

Serena sniffled into his chest. "I'm sorry that I'm awful at this mate thing."

"To recognize and accept your mistakes is the beginning to learning from them," he said softly.

"Yeah, but it's everybody else's problem too."

"That is why you must learn to think before you decide to act." The demon stepped away as she nodded.

Edwin bowed to Serena and shared a look with Lucien before opening the door and slipping out before Noir could shoot in.

Lucien looked at Serena but the red head wasn't moving. Her hair had slipped down to cover her face as she played with the cuffs of her sweatshirt. He could smell tears and hear the slight catch in her breath that told him she was still crying.

He was still angry with her.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Corrine asked as she looked at her nails.

Serena used her cuff to wipe under her eyes. "Could you not be a bitch right now?"

"I'm not." She shrugged. "He couldn't do his job, so he was replaced. Simple. There's nothing bitchy about it."

"It was my fault. I didn't tell him what I was doing so he couldn't stop it."

"And the fact that you didn't trust either of them enough to tell them what you were doing is telling enough about both of their effectiveness."

Serena spun to look at the demon, shock on her face.

"What?" Corrine shrugged. "That is what they were supposed to do. Guards must be trusted by those they watch to protect their very lives. You hid a decision that you made with a women Edwin had already warned you away from. Obviously, you didn't trust his judgment, so he failed. It's not something to be sad over."

Serena stared at the other woman for a moment. "If that's true, than I didn't trust Sebastian either."

"Obviously, the Elder needs to work on that."

******************A Demon's Mate**************

Rain beat down on the roof of the little house in sheets of water that cascaded down the sides of the roof that could be seen from the living room windows. It was like the weather was reflecting Serena's mood as she sat on the couch, thinking about what Corrine had said. The sketchbook in her lap was open to a still empty, fresh page.

The demon in question was looking at something on the tablet in her hands and Lucien was sulking from the kitchen. Teo had left at his normal time, although not his normal speed and no one had spoken since he left.

Some show was playing on the TV but none of them were paying attention to it. Yowling finally caught her attention as Lucien walked across the floor to the back door.

"Don't let him in." Serena's voice was sharp as she looked over the back of the couch. "If he's so powerful, he can let himself in."

Corrine didn't even look up from her tablet as she answered. "There are wards on all of the exterior doors and windows that even the Elder cannot come through if they are activated."

"How are they activated?"

"The lock."

"Hmm." Serena thought for a moment. "Good."

Lucien started back for the door and she looked at him again. "I said, don't let him in."

The blonde stared down at Noir, who looked like a drowned rat, and shrugged. He walked away and went back to his place. A scratch against the glass made her turn around and stare at the demon outside.

Noir sat up straighter and meowed again. He reached up and pawed the glass. With a glare, Serena turned away and focused on the TV. The scratching sped up, sounding like nails on a chalkboard. Corrine dropped the tablet to put her hands over her ears and Lucien did the same. Serena knew whatever she was hearing, they could hear exponentially louder.

She turned the volume on the TV up.

And, the scratching stopped. Serena shifted to be more comfortable with a sigh and looked at the page in front of her again. Her pencil raised but there still wasn't anything in her mind.

A bang made them all jump and they looked to the window nearest the TV. Noir was plastered to the glass and slowly sliding down as his claws tried to find a way to hold himself up. He stared at Serena and meowed before sliding off the window.

Behind her, Lucien burst out laughing and quickly tried to cover it. Corrine had a smile on her face as another meow came from outside. Even Serena laughed a little as something banged against the front door next.

"Are you really going to leave him out there?" Lucien asked as the cat appeared on the ledge of the kitchen window. Water dripped off his fur as he pawed at the glass again.

"I was planning on it." Serena looked over the back of the couch as Noir let a pitiful yowl. "He's making me feel awful though."

"He was touching you when you were naked and passed out," Corrine reminded her.

"I might see that as a compliment." She didn't look up from the lines she had started drawing. "No one else wants to play with me."

Lucien laughed. "I don't think that's exactly accurate."

Another meow came from the back door again and Serena threw her pencil down. Tossing her sketchbook to the other cushion, she stood up and went to the back door. Noir meowed up at her and pawed the glass again, looking as pathetic as possible. Serena crossed her arms over her chest as she stared down at him.

"Can you behave?"

Noir leaned up and put both paws on the glass as he stared at the doorknob.

"No. You're not coming back in this house until I know that you are going to behave yourself. Molesting an unconscious person is not acceptable."

The cat slid back down, sitting on the deck as he looked up at her. His head dropped further as more rain pelted the back porch. Serena sighed and looked back at Lucien.

"Get me a towel."

The blonde shook his head as he went into the front bathroom. Noir's ears perked up and he stood, moving happily on the other side of the door.

"Now you wait for the towel. I don't want you dripping all over the floor." Serena unlocked the door and was surprised when the knob turned before she could touch it.

The door opened, but he waited outside until she bent down and held the towel open for him. Serena scooped him up and made sure that the towel was covering him completely, including his tail.

"See, if you had just had some manners this wouldn't have happened to you." She rubbed the cloth, trying to soak up as much water as she could. "Since I have a feeling that you're not going anywhere, we'll just have to teach you some."

Corrine coughed to cover a laugh from the living room as Serena took Noir into her bedroom and through to the bath.

Setting him in the tub, Serena took off the soaked towel and reached for another. Noir shook himself inside the copper tub, spraying water everywhere and the red head held the towel in front of her to stay dry with a laugh. Laying the new towel over him, she rubbed his fur again and heard him start purring.

"You're just lucky that you're cute like that. If you were in human form...demon form...whatever, I would have left your ass out there to rot."

Noir meowed and pushed his head against her hand. She dropped the towel into the tub and stared at the wet cat for a minute.

"Well, since you're not really a cat, you shouldn't have a problem with the hairdryer." Serena picked him up and carried him to the counter. Plugging it in, she checked how far away she would have to hold it for it not to be too hot before turning back to the wet mass of black fur.

When he was dry, Noir jumped off the counter and headed for the bedroom. Serena stopped when she came out of the bathroom and saw him curled up on her bed.

"Oh, I don't think so." She picked him up again. "It's the couch for you from now on, my furry friend."

*******************A Demon's Mate****************

Serena was in her little studio when she realized it had been a month since Edwin had left them. There had only been one phone call from the demon, that came through to Lucien, telling them that he had arrived in London and to inform the Elder when possible. Undertaker had called once, wondering why Edwin was in London without her. At the answer, he had started laughing and hadn't stopped. She finally hung up on him.

In the time since, she had fallen into a new routine after a few days of depression. Listening to Corrine and Lucien had helped pull her out of her slump. Mainly because she had been forced to play referee between the two demons. It didn't help that she wasn't immune to Corrine little jabs either. Evidently, it was alright for her to make comments about the red head's clothes, classes, the fact that she didn't drive herself and what an inconvenience it was, the fact that she didn't cook and what an inconvenience it was.

They did have one occasion a week that was fairly peaceful though. Lucien had not bothered to help her with trimming her hair or her nails since Edwin left and that meant that she had to find another option. Once a week, she and Corrine would leave campus and go to a salon that the demon deemed acceptable. Corrine was known to take advantage of all the services that they had to offer. Serena just took a trim and a manicure.

It was wasted within a day anyway. Artist hands didn't mix well with nail polish.

 _'What does it say about me that I forgot about him?'_

The first days after the Fall Festival had been filled with trying to keep her head down. Several of the males on campus had finally noticed Serena after the show and had started going out of their way to try to talk to her. Comments had followed her from the girls and some from the guys. Finally, after a couple weeks, it calmed down and Serena went back to not talking to any of them.

Nadine hadn't talked to her at all. The blonde had actually seemed to be afraid of her when Serena had tried to talk to her after one of their classes.

At least someone was happy after the Festival though. Teo had received an award for his metalwork and acknowledgment from Anita that seemed to take some of the pain of his injuries away. He still didn't move easily and could be seen holding his stomach when he thought no one was looking.

She stared at the portrait that was taking shape on her canvas and saw the cat on the stool beyond. Noir hadn't been happy that he was regulated to the couch. Several times she had woken up to find the cat curled up next to her on the bed. Each time, he was thrown out until he had finally gotten the message and left her alone. That didn't mean that he had stopped following her into the studio or on their nightly walks.

The first time that she had taken a bath after finding out that her little cat was actually a little demon was a rude awakening for him. Noir had jumped into the tub the minute she had turned the water on. He had been cute as he played in the water. Until she threw the little cat out of the room, literally, and locked the door.

He hadn't tried again since.

Serena looked at the cat again and Noir stood up a little straighter. She couldn't help but laugh. He was acting like she was painting his portrait and would stay in the same position for hours. Several times she had caught the little cat looking at the painting when she stopped for the night. She thought that he approved of it.

The other canvas was set up sat in front of the windows, looking out over the lake. Serena knew what was going to take the place of the blank, white space, she had seen it months ago before leaving Tokyo, but felt the need to finish what was in front of her first.

 _'Malory's going to love it.'_

**************A Demon's Mate*****************

"Finally. I didn't think that you were ever going to come out of there."

Serena looked across the car at Corrine and her perfect hair and her perfect blue dress with matching shoes and her perfect complimenting jewelry. She looked down at her jeans, stained with paint and the sneakers she had thrown on this morning while running out the door. She knew her hair was a mess and stopped herself from touching it. Serena had woken up late and had just rolled the length into a clip that some of it had fallen out of.

 _'No wonder she was Sebastian's lover. She's just like him, not a hair out of place. He always made sure that I was perfect too when I was with him in the past.'_ Serena stared out the window as she grew more and more uncomfortable. _'Would I really want him to see me right now?'_

Corrine noticed the turn Serena's mood had taken and huffed. "What is your problem now?"

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

Serena waved at her. "That."

"It's called effort, I believe." The red head glared at her and Corrine raised an eyebrow. "Can you say that you really tried when you got dressed this morning?"

"Never mind."

"What person do you know that commands respect showing up in front of people in a ripped sweatshirt and stained jeans?"

Serena shifted in her seat. "I had class today, it wouldn't do any good to paint in what you're wearing."

"You could wear an apron or something over your clothes. Of course, you don't really need to protect those." Corrine waved to what she was wearing. "You wear the same thing if we go into town as you do to your studio classes. You've spent so much time trying to fade into the background that you've stopped trying. You weren't wearing stuff like that when I met you in London."

"I took painting clothes and regular clothes when I went to Tokyo."

"You were trying to make a good impression. Why did that stop now that you're home?" Corrine looked over as she stopped at a light. "Is it because you're already taken? So you don't have to worry about it?"

"No."

"Good. Because it's that line of thinking from anyone that leads to your partner looking elsewhere."

Serena glared at the demon. "You're a bitch, you know that?"

"Because I'm honest? Can you honestly say that if the Elder started wearing stained and ripped clothes all the time that you wouldn't start noticing the others around you?"

Serena shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm not saying that you have to spend three hours in the bathroom every morning, but do something. You have days that you aren't in studio classes. On those days, wear something different. Actually do something with your hair."

"I do fix my hair."

"Did you even brush it this morning?" Corrine waited a beat. "That's what I thought. Do you honestly think that demons, who spend a lot of time on appearance and blending in with humans, are going to respect someone who didn't respect themselves enough to brush their hair in the morning?"

Serena was woken the next morning by Corrine ripping the sheets off her. The red head came up with a scream and Noir appeared, spitting in the doorway. The demon glared at the fluffed out cat as he jumped up on the bed and stood in front of Serena with his ears back.

"Oh calm down, Fluffy." Corrine sneered at the animal before looking to Serena. "You have regular classes today. So, we're going to do something a little different."

Serena grabbed the still hissing cat and looked at her alarm clock. "It's six in the morning. My class isn't till ten."

"That's right. I don't know how long this is going to take and no one does a good job of anything when they're rushed." She clapped her hands together. "Well, come on. Out of bed."

She glared at Corrine as the demon opened the door to her closet. Serena grabbed Noir and scrambled out of the way as Corrine dropped everything that was on hangers into the middle of the bed. "Alright. Let's see what we have to work with." She put her hands on her hips and stared over the clothes that were spread in front of her. "While you're in class today, I'm going to sort out all of your clothes that will be used for painting and studio classes from other clothes that will be worn for regular classes and going into town. That will make choosing your outfits easier and you won't have to get up so early."

Serena stared at the demon, not knowing what to say. She wasn't even sure that Corrine had said what she thought she said.

"Well, go on. Into the shower. I'm going to look over our options."

The red head was bustled into her bathroom and the door shut behind her before she knew what happened. She looked down and saw Noir with the same blank look on his face that she had.

"Why do I wish that I had never brought up her clothes?"

Noir looked up at her and meowed.

"Oh, that's right." Serena opened the door again and set the cat on the ground. He flicked his tail up as she shut the door behind him.

After her shower, Serena came out in a towel to see Noir on the bed with his ears back as he watched Corrine flit around the room. An outfit had been laid out on the bottom of the bed and Serena admitted that it didn't look bad. She had bought the white shirt that was made from a slinky material a while ago. It looked like it didn't have any form to it, but it changed when it was on a body. She had bought it on a whim and then buried it in the back of her closet because she didn't have anywhere to where it. A fresh, new pair of jeans was laid next to the shirt.

"I was so happy when I found this in your closet. I can't believe that you haven't worn this." Corrine touched the shirt gently.

"Isn't that a shirt to go out in?"

"Paired with jeans it's good for daytime." She opened the door and urged Noir to leave. Instead, the two got into a staring contest.

The red head sighed and nodded to the door. "Noir, go."

An hour later, Serena admitted that Corrine was right. The outfit looked very nice and not too dressy. The demon had done her hair to fall in soft waves and then added a couple of pins to pull it away from her face. She had also sat through Corrine's makeup tutorial and found out that she didn't like to wear makeup because she had been using too much to begin with. Serena was shocked when Corrine pulled out a pair of black leather boots with a low heel that came up to calf length and insisted the red head wear them.

"I bought them but the heel's too low for me." Corrine shrugged and set them on the floor.

"I thought that demons could just make whatever they wanted appear."

"Some of us can. Some of us can't. I can, but that would take all the fun of shopping away. It's the search that's fun." She gave Serena a smirk. "It's the finding something that's perfect, just what you wanted and yanking it away from someone else."

The demon laughed and Serena stared at her for a minute. "Okay then. I take it you're greed too."

"Demons of greed and lust outnumber other sins by the hundreds. They're the sins most often to be abused when human."

Serena looked at Corrine out of the corner of her eye. "What were you when you were human?"

She smirked. "You would have called me a pirate."

"That's kind of cool."

"Because you didn't live it." Corrine smiled as she thought about the past. "I will admit that it was fun though. Some of the time. Because I was a woman, I had to be more vicious and frightening than any other. Which is part of how I came to be this."

Serena decided to give her a minute and finished putting on her shoes. Corrine came out of her memories with a sigh and looked around the room.

"That reminds me, you need jewelry."

"My necklace and watch are really the only thing that I have."

Corrine cocked her head to the side. "What about the box the Elder sent with Edwin?"

"What box?"

The demon opened the bedroom door, mumbling under her breath. "Completely useless."

Lucien sat at the island, a plate next to him with Serena's breakfast. He looked up as Corrine stalked out of the bedroom.

"Where's the box?"

"Box?" He asked confused.

"The jewelry the Elder sent for Serena."

"Oh, right." Lucien slid off the stool with an absent look. "I had completely forgotten about it."

"Useless."

"It's not like she was going anywhere that she would need it." He shot back as he left the room.

"I know there is more than big stuff in there. The Elder had gotten her some everyday pieces as well."

"How do you know?" Serena leaned against the island.

"I picked some of them out before I was transferred to Haagenti's house."

"That's a little awkward."

"I have excellent taste." Corrine shrugged. "Of course, so does the Elder. I don't know why he wanted me to pick them out to begin with."

Serena thought back to when Corrine would have left Sebastian's house. "Wouldn't they be old though?"

"Good pieces never go out of style and vintage is big right now. If necessary, the stones can be reset."

Lucien came back out from the front bedroom that she had never gone in. Holding a wooden box. He stopped when he finally saw Serena and looked shocked at the outfit. Corrine snatched the box from him and opened the lid.

"Very nice, my lady."

Serena felt a blush come up her face and smiled. "Thank you."

Both jumped a little when Corrine dumped the box on the island, a glittering mass pouring out of it. Several pieces came close to the edge and a small, black earring fell off. It skittered across the floor as Noir shot after it. He playfully batted the stone around a few times as Serena laughed before he picked it up and jumping onto the island to drop it in the pile. Corrine dug through jewels, pulling out certain pieces that caught her attention.

"Shouldn't this be a little more organized?" Serena pulled up a diamond choker that must have cost a small fortune. "What was he thinking? Where would I even wear this?"

"I believe that he was making sure that you were prepared for any occasion," Corrine said absently as she held up an overly long necklace that was fairly simple silver with a few black stones placed in the chain. Simple, at least compared to the rest of what was in front of them. She faced Serena with a smile and slipped the necklace over her head. The earring that Noir had run after was found to have a mate and the demon held them up to Serena before nodding. "Put these in."

The red head's hands were shaking a little as she slid the posts into her earlobes. Corrine had turned back to the pile and pulled out a set of bangles that she slid onto the girl's wrists. Stepping back, the demon looked critically at Serena and nodded again.

"Alright. I like it."

"That's great, because Teo should be here any minute." Lucien grabbed her bag from the living room and held it out to Serena.

"Ugh," Corrine glared at the backpack. "That bag is hideous."

Serena looked down at it and back up. "It's just a book bag."

"It's an ugly book bag."

"Well, it's all I have to carry my stuff so it'll have to work."

Corrine growled at the bag that was, in her opinion, ruining all of her hard work by it's mere existence. In the background, she heard Teo come in and choke at Serena's appearance. He told her it reminded him of the presence she had in the past, when he met her in an Indian sari. Through it all, she glared at the bag the red head was holding.

She waved her hand and the bag changed to a messenger style in leather. Gold buckles gleamed and set off the reddish color of the polished cowhide. Corrine smiled as Serena lifted the bag to look at it.

"You changed my bag."

"This one is much better."

Serena threw the strap over her head and grabbed Teo's arm. "Let's get out of her before she decides that she doesn't like my outfit as much as she thought she did."

******************A Demon's Mate*****************

Serena admitted that Corrine had been right. She had walked into her first class confident and had received several compliments on the outfit. Throughout the day, she hadn't felt the need to scurry between classrooms. She and Teo walked easily between buildings, him firmly in his disguise, and no one had anything bad to say. When the day was over in early afternoon, she met Lucien coming up from the parking lot.

The demon noticed a couple of stragglers trailing after Serena and hurried to take her bag, slipping in to walk beside her. When he looked back, the others were making their way back to their friends.

"How was class today?"

Serena could still hear frost in his voice and wondered how long it would be before Lucien would have a conversation with her without a bite to it.

"Fine." Lucien opened her door for her and the red head wished he wouldn't. She wished that they could just have a screaming argument and get it over with. But it wouldn't happen that way. He'd already yelled at her and gotten nothing from it. "I'll admit that I was more comfortable today."

"I hate to say anything nice about her, but Corrine knows how to make an impression with clothes."

Serena looked at the pin-striped dress shirt that he had rolled the sleeves up his forearms and left untucked. The distressed jeans hugged his long legs down to the black oxfords on his feet.

"She's not the only one."

Lucien sent her a smirk across the car. "Thank you."

The rest of the drive was quiet. Returning to the house shattered that.

Serena stepped out of the car and heard a scream from inside the house. Lucien pushed her behind him when she would have run ahead, giving her a shove to fall back into the car.

"Stay here and lock the doors."

The red head watched him disappear around the side of the house, heading for the back door. The screaming quieted but she could still hear something, even inside the car. The front door yanked open and Serena jumped as Lucien appeared. He came down the steps and she unlocked the door.

"Don't do that again. You already know that some demons can take on another's looks." He helped her out of the car. "I had the keys."

"What's going on?"

"Corrine and the damn cat." He grabbed her bag out of the back seat and slammed the door shut.

Serena hurried into the house and saw Corrine cradling her hand as she rocked back and forth on the couch. Noir was sitting on the island, calmly licking his paw.

"What happened?"

She was still curled around her hand and little whimpers of pain escaped her mouth. "That damn brat bit me."

The red head held out her hand. "Let me see."

Corrine's hand was swelling and between her thumb and forefinger was a bite wound. Something green and infected-looking was leaking out of the wounds and she could see the same damage as Teo's stomach and side. Corrine yanked her hand back when Serena would have touched the wound.

"Don't touch that. It's the venom."

Lucien had come in from taking the car back and saw the damage. He glared over his shoulder at the cat on the island.

"You can release venom from your teeth?"

Noir stretched lazily and laid down on the counter.

"What did you do?" Serena asked the demon in front of her.

"Nothing. I was trying to get him off the counter." Corrine pulled her hand back and curled around it. "He wouldn't move so I tried to move him myself."

"Well, that explains it." Lucien shrugged.

Serena looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't let any of us touch him."

Corrine glared at him, pain still visible on her face.

"Noir! Get in here." Serena stood up and put her hands on her hips. The little cat jumped from the counter easily and trotted toward her. As soon as he was close, she picked him up and sat down on the table with him in her lap. "Fix it."

Noir looked back at her with his ears plastered back against his head.

"Don't look at me like that. That is no reason to bite someone and you fix it."

He meowed at her.

"Right now." She pulled Corrine's hand forward and waited. After a moment, Noir lowered his head and started to lick the demon's hand. Slowly, she saw the lines of pain leave Corrine's face and nodded. When he was done, Noir strained to be let go. As soon as he hit the floor, the cat ran for the back door, it opened on its own and he disappeared.

It wasn't until almost midnight that the little cat showed up at the back door again. Lucien was the first one there and Noir hesitated before shooting past the other demon into the house.

Serena was in the bathtub and heard something scratch frantically at the door.

"I don't think so," she called. The red head waited a minute but didn't hear anything else. Laying her head back against the rim of the tub she tried to relax. Voices from the other side of the wall weren't helping any.

It took a minute for her to realize that Lucien and Corrine were teasing Noir.

 _'Well, I can't really blame them. He's been an asshole for who knows how long.'_

Deciding that she had lain in there long enough, Serena stepped out of the tub and grabbed the towel from the nearby warmer rack. She was pulling her hair out of the clip on top of her head when she came into the bedroom and saw Lucien standing next to the bed with his hands on his hips.

"What is it now?"

The blonde looked up and smirked. "I think I like that outfit better than the one this morning."

Serena rolled her eyes, even his flirting had a bite to it now. "Lucien. Why are you in here?"

"He won't come out." The demon waved at the bed.

"What?"

"Since you told him that he can't lash out at us, he doesn't feel safe in the other room with us." The sarcasm rolled off him in waves.

Serena made sure the towel was secure and dropped to her knees. Noir was backed against the wall, his ears back as he looked between the two sides of the bed.

"That's because you've been a bully." She sighed and tried to see Lucien over the top of the bed. "Maybe it wasn't right to tell him that he couldn't defend himself. What does Sebastian do to punish him?"

Lucien looked at her strangely as he thought. "You know, I've never seen the Elder punish him."

She rolled her eyes.

"No wonder he acts like this." Serena moved a little closer and held a hand out. "Come on. Come out of there. It's not your fault. It's Sebastian's."

Noir stared at her for a moment, weighing his options. Slowly, the little cat edged his way out from under the bed and let her pick him up.

"Corrine, come in here." Serena held the little cat as she leaned against the bed and waited.

Corrine glared at Noir as she came in the room and the cat hissed at her.

"Stop that." Serena shook him a little. "I'm not a big fan of corporal punishment unless it's something huge. So, we're going to have a logical, adult discussion."

Lucien looked at her like she had lost her mind but settled in against the wall. The red head lifted Noir's head to look at her.

"It's not right for you to hurt others when they aren't intending to hurt you."

Corrine and Lucien started to snicker.

"It's also not right that you two were baiting him after I told him not to bite you anymore." Both demons looked a little shocked. "Yeah, I heard that. Why do all of you act like this? You're supposed to be family. And family that you actually got to pick in a way."

All three of them looked down.

"I know you're demons, but come on." She looked down at Noir. "You've made them scared of you, you've been spoiled by Sebastian and then you're upset when they make fun of you or try to bully you back when you can't do anything."

His ears flattened even as she turned to the other demons. "You two aren't making it any better by trying to get your own shot in while I've told him not to fight back. All you keep saying is that demons are better than humans. From where I'm sitting, you're acting just the same."

"Well, we are a little more viscous than humans," Lucien tried to explain.

"You're all acting like a bunch of school children. Just because you do more damage, doesn't change the behavior."

"And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Waves of resentment came from Corrine as she glared at both of them.

"Don't try to change the subject. Now, we all have to live together. I'm guessing that you all haven't spent much time with each other before this?"

Lucien shrugged.

"You act like you don't get along but you've never really tried, have you?"

All three of them shook their heads.

"Well, now we're going to try."

*****************A Demon's Mate*****************

He couldn't wait anymore.

Plans, strategy, timing; it all flew away as he stared at the little house by the lake. The house he had built, for her. It had given him something to do...for a day. As times changed, the house had changed as well. It was never good enough. It never would be. But, she liked it and that was what mattered.

In the dark of the forest, he could see light from the windows of the master bedroom. Shadows passed in front of the curtains and he took a step forward. A small, black head popped out from under the fabric, staring right at him.

The young demon knew that he loved that form.

Serena pulled the curtain back and he heard her ask the cat what he was looking at.

He grabbed the nearest branch to keep his hiding place. Memories were cold and stained with blood. The living flesh on the other side of thin glass was warm. Slipping into her dreams just wasn't enough anymore and seeing her so close was almost overwhelming.

Artificial light shined off her hair as she stared into the darkness of the trees. He preferred how it had looked in candlelight or the light from the fireplace when he had brushed the red length as it dried, soft as silk.

He growled when he noticed the tank top and skimpy pair of shorts she had put on to prepare for bed. One of his former master's nightshirts would have been more modest. He made a mental note to make sure that she was provided with something different.

The little demon, she called Noir, shook his head and ducked back under the curtain. Serena took a last look into the trees, staring right at his hiding place, before smiling back into the room and letting the curtain fall back into place.

He snapped as she turned away from him. Nothing moved as he came out of the forest. There was no sound, nothing disrupted to prove that he had passed. It was easy to hover just to the side of her window and look through the break between the casement and curtain.

Noir had jumped up on the bed and Serena was staring at the cat as he fluffed the comforter. Lucien stuck his head in the door after knocking. The blonde waved at Noir but the cat merely planted himself in the middle of the bed. He looked back at Serena and meowed.

He could imagine the look his mate was receiving. His youngest demon knew that he was at his most adorable in his animal form. No one could deny him for long.

 _'Not even me.'_

He heard Serena sigh and knew she wasn't immune either.

"Fine." The red head gave up and went to pull the comforter back so she could get into the bed.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She smiled at the cat. "If he does anything, I'll have him neutered."

He choked back laughter as Noir stiffened in fright, prepared to run.

Lucien laughed as he shut the door and Serena reached over to shut the lamp off. He heard the door to the deck open and slipped around the side of the house to meet Lucien.

"Elder," the demon whispered as he shut the door behind him. "What are you doing here?"

He pulled himself up to his full height as he glared at Lucien. "This is my house, Lucien."

"Yes, but you're not supposed to be here."

He didn't say anything. Lucien was right. The time wasn't right. His plans weren't finished yet. Still, he went to the door anyway.

Corrine shook her head but got up from the couch without a word. Power crept through the house as she stepped outside with Lucien and waited for their third. Neither said anything as they waited in the cool, spring night.

The door to her room was already open when he slipped inside to face Noir's glare. The cat was sitting up on the side of the bed closest to the door, waiting for him. He listened to her even breathing and pushed the command to sleep a little harder.

"Go." The demon nodded his head toward the door but Noir didn't move other than to put his ears back. A growl bubbled out of his chest. "Now."

Noir shrunk back at his tone and moved slowly across the bed. When he jumped down, the cat disappeared as soon as he hit the floor. Just to be sure, he shut the door.

Lucien and Corrine didn't say anything as Noir appeared and the door shut behind him. The locks turned as they started down the stairs. They hit the bottom as the wards went up around the little house, giving every human who would go near it a sense of foreboding and any demon the fear of a powerful Elder that didn't want to be disturbed.

He moved slowly around the edge of the small, dark room, staring at the figure on the bed. Serena moved restlessly in her sleep, fighting the compulsion as if she knew he was there. He slid onto the bed carefully, making sure not to disturb the mattress too much.

Serena moved closer in her sleep and he smirked. He slid down next to her, reveling in the warmth of her body. He remembered her cold once with the stench of death clinging to her skin. A shiver went through him but he pushed the memory back. She was alive now and he would keep her that way this time.

She sighed when he curled around her and he pushed her hair back to rub his thumb over her cheek. His fingers drifted down to skim the line of her jaw.

He could do this now. It could be so simple. He could just lift the compulsion to sleep, she'd be happy to see him after all this time. She'd been almost entranced at that stupid Fall Festival. Serena would welcome him, he could claim her and that would be the end of it.

 _"No. If I had wanted to do that, I would have woken her when I came in."_ He sighed and laid his head on her chest, listening to the steady beats of her heart. _'It's not time yet.'_

The demon jumped when her arm came around him. Her fingers brushed his hair and his eyes closed in pleasure.

"My mate."

*********************A Demon's Mate******************

Graduation Day was not quite what Serena expected. She woke up that morning no happier than if it were any other day. Corrine had been more excited to dress her up than she had been.

Her hands slid down the heavy white silk dress that Corrine had picked out for her and stared at the lace sleeves. A thin slip of crinoline gave the skirt a little poof. The black sash tied in a bow behind her and trailed to the end of the skirt that stopped mid-thigh. The sash matched the black heeled sandals that gave her extra inches of height. Pearl buttons ran up the back and Corrine had produced a triple strand of matching pearls to go around her throat and wrist, each tied with a black ribbon.

Serena had thought it looked almost like a wedding dress.

She checked her hair that Corrine had spent an hour arranging in soft waves with a jeweled clip at her left temple. When she came out, Lucien was waiting with breakfast and Corrine with a sheet so she didn't ruin her outfit. Serena laughed as she waved them off.

"I'm really not hungry."

"Are you ready?" Corrine flitted around her and checked to make sure that the red head hadn't messed anything up in the few minutes that she had been out of sight.

"What is your problem? You're more nervous than I am."

"It's a special day." Lucien smiled as he took the plate back. For the first time in months, he didn't have anything nasty to say to her.

Noir meowed from her feet and Serena leaned down to pick him up.

"No!" Corrine pulled the red head back quickly. "Black fur and a white dress don't mix. Not to mention his claws on this silk."

"Alright, alright. Calm down." Serena held her hands up to placate the demon. When Corrine let her go, the demon went around her, pulling down her skirt and tugging the dress back into position.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Corrine went back into the bedroom.

"Help me." The red head ran to hide behind Lucien but the blonde just laughed and danced away. "Traitor."

Serena sent him another look when Corrine came back out with a bottle of perfume but Lucien just held his hands up.

"This is perfect." She took out the stopper and waved it around so Serena could smell it. The fruity smell was nice, light and not obvious or as noxious as most other perfumes.

"It's nice."

"It's perfect." She looked back as Lucien. "Isn't it perfect?"

"Hmm." He smiled as the red head glared at him.

Corrine waved the girl closer and dabbed the stopped at her throat, her wrists and pulled the neckline of the dress back to dab some between her breasts. Serena jumped back.

"That's enough." She pulled at the dress a little. "Forget a wedding, I feel like a virgin sacrifice."

"Without the virgin part, right?" Corrine placed the stopper back as she smiled at the red head.

Serena gaped at the other girl. "You know about that?"

"Of course."

She looked up at the ceiling. "Perfect."

"Well, I have to get ready. Teo should be here soon and then we'll all go."

"You're coming?"

"Of course." Corrine smiled as she glided out of the room and Serena stared at Lucien. The blonde just shrugged and picked up the blue coat that completed his suit.

The front door opened and Teo appeared, in his Michael disguise. He was wearing a suit of his own, black of course. The demon smiled as soon as he saw Serena.

"Are you ready for today?"

"I guess." She looked down at the dress and smoothed imaginary lines out of the skirt.

After the ceremony, Serena walked through the crowds of graduates and happy families trying to ignore the fact that she was alone. The seats reserved for her family had been empty every time she looked. Eventually, Corrine and Lucien should find her.

She didn't notice that the crowd had thinned out, keeping to the sides of the walkway and keeping away from the man standing in the middle of her path. She had almost walked into him when she finally looked up.

He was dressed in a sharp gray suit and let his silver hair hang loose around him. A single braid hung down his side with a black feather tied to the bottom. In his hands was a bouquet of white roses. When she looked up, his scars were gone and it took her a minute to recognize him.

"Undertaker?"

The reaper smirked. "I was wondering how long you were going to stare."

"I wasn't staring."

"You were." Undertaker giggled. "I was going to ask if you wanted a spoon."

Serena felt the raging blush come up her face and tried to ignore it. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you might be celebrating some life-changing event today."

"I guess," She laughed.

Undertaker held out the roses. "Congratulations."

She blushed hotter as she took them from him and touched the soft petals. "Thanks. They're beautiful."

"You're welcome." Undertaker held out an arm for her to take, a strange look in his eye. Still, she took the arm.

"Lucien and Corrine should be around here somewhere."

"I told them to go away."

"What?"

"There is a benefit to wearing my father's feather. I get to order little demons around when it fits my mood." He giggled as he led Serena out of the building and to the parking lot.

Several others were walking around, standing in groups or running to congratulate friends while Serena kept her head down and followed where the reaper led. It was just easier that way.

"I thought I'd take you to dinner." Undertaker sent her a smirk. "Unless you're not so conventional anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you've been waited on by demons for months. You live with three of them." He giggled a little and slid a look out of the corner of his eye. "Who knows what you have been ordering from them."

"Undertaker!"

"They're all very beautiful and you've been waiting a long time for your demon. I'm sure you've gotten lonely." He giggled as he opened the passenger side door of a pretty silver car.

"It's not like that."

The reaper didn't say anything as he shut the door and went around the other side.

"It's not. Lucien's still pissed about the Edwin thing and Corrine's a bitch, who also used to be Sebastian's lover. I don't even want to think how that would work."

"There's also the Carthrage guard." He interrupted the tirade he could feel coming.

"Is that who Noir is?"

"You didn't know?"

"No." She rolled her eyes. "I didn't even realize that he was a demon until someone told me. Apparently, after he molested me in the shower."

"Really." He made a show of looking her over.

"Don't even think about it. I'm awake this time."

Undertaker laughed as he started the car and threw it into reverse.

Serena never expected him to pull the car into the parking lot of The Cliffs. It was the nicest restaurant in town and getting reservations took damn near a human sacrifice. She was still staring at the building when he shut the car off. The red head didn't notice when he got out and came around to open her door.

"What are we doing here?"

"Corrine said that you hadn't eaten all day." He shrugged as he pulled her out of the car. "Besides, isn't this what normal people do when they reach a milestone?"

"I don't think that you've ever done anything normal."

"Good a time as any to try."

At their table, Serena looked around the restaurant and saw a couple others from graduation.

"Alright, be honest. When did you make this reservation?"

"I didn't."

"Then how...?"

He put a finger up to his lips. "If you look too close, it may disappear."

"That's a lame line."

Undertaker just shrugged and opened his menu. Serena tried not to look but the feather was calling to her as she looked down at her menu.

"You can ask about it." He even look up as he guessed what she was thinking.

"What happened between you and," she looked around. "Luci?"

"Luci?"

Serena looked at the other tables. "Well, I don't want anyone to hear us."

"Nothing really. I've been trying for a long time to ignore what I already knew. You can't escape death. My father had been telling me that for years before my mother died. He'd been telling me about mates for years, as well. I just..."

"Wanted someone to blame?"

"Yeah. It just had to be someone's fault. He didn't come when I called, the only time I had ever called for him. So, it was his fault." Aelius leaned back in his chair and picked up his wineglass. "He tried to get me to come with him but I wouldn't do it. I ran across him every few years. Sometimes, I wonder if he kept finding me to see if I had forgiven him yet."

"So, have you?"

"It's hard to forgive someone for something they never did in the first place."

Serena picked up the braid and ran a finger down the edge of the feather.

"But you two are good now?"

"If you're asking if I trust him, no. I still know that that's a mistake, and a large one at that."

She didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. After a moment, she flicked his hair back at him. The reaper looked at the feather himself.

"I loved him once." Aelius looked into the candle on their table. "As much as I hate to say, a part of me still does."

"Your parents are still your parents."

He nodded and looked at her again. "Even when they don't show up to your graduation?"

"I didn't see them for Christmas either." She wiped under her eyes to make sure nothing ruined her makeup. "I felt so damn stupid. I went shopping, which I hate doing, suffered through Corrine little comments, picked out something and got to the house and there was no one there. One of the neighbors, Mrs. Rolston, was outside greeting people coming to her house and told me that they had gone to visit relatives. No one said anything to me."

"Did you give them their gifts later?"

She shook her head. "No, they're still at the house. I know I should just get rid of them but..."

"You know, it's not you. It's quite a common occurrence for those that will mate demons. They have no close connections, even with family, so it's not so hard to leave."

"Then what's this?" She waved between them.

The server saved him from having to answer. After their plates were set down, he had gained his equilibrium back.

"What makes you think that we're close?"

Serena stared at the reaper.

"We haven't seen each other in months. We haven't spoken since Edwin was moved to Elder Haagenti's house. On the other hand, you talk to little Alex once a week."

"How do you know about that?"

"Malory mentioned it." He waved it off and took a sip from the wineglass in front of him. "You think because you know about my father that we're close. We're two people that shared an extraordinary experience. Once it is over, we drifted away from each other."

The red head watched him silently as the cold truth poured over her. Would she be unhappy to never see Undertaker again? Yes, but it didn't steal her breath or the ability to think. Not like thinking that she might never see Sebastian again did.

But, something else pulled at the back of her mind. Working around the sudden dryness in her mouth, she asked.

"Then why are you here?"

The reaper's dual green eyes almost glowed in the candles. "Hell if I know."

Both stared at each other, neither saying anything. Serena broke first and looked down at her plate and the meal that was no longer appealing. Soft music played and Aelius looked to the abandoned dance floor in the center of the room.

He stood up quickly and held out a hand. Serena stared at the elegant hand and saw he had cut his nails as well. The black nails only emphasized the long, pale fingers. She hesitated for a second before taking his hand.

"Sebastian obviously didn't make a joke for you out of my dancing skills."

He giggled as he pulled her closer. "Just follow me."

Laughing at the same thing Sebastian had said to her when he had gotten her to dance over a hundred years ago.

"I can't believe you know how to dance." She smiled a little. "And know enough to keep me from stepping all over your feet."

"It's one of my many skills."

She laughed and looked around them.

Now that the ice was broken several other couples were joining them on the floor. Serena saw a few girls from graduation with their fathers and quickly looked back to her partner. He saw it of course. Thankfully, Aelius decided not to say anything.

"So, what's the plan now?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll come back and visit you all in London." She was very proud of the fact that she didn't choke on the words.

"You know that won't happen."

"Yeah, I know."

*********************A Demon's Mate*******************

When the car pulled up in front of the house, Serena stared at the dark windows. Aelius put the car in park but didn't shut off the engine.

"Why don't you come in for a while?"

He leaned around her to look at the house. "I think that you have enough company in there."

"Yeah, I guess." She still didn't move to open the door. "They always sit in the dark when I'm not home."

"Well, they are demons."

"I know. They like the dark."

"They can also see in the dark. So, there is no reason to have a bunch of lights on when it's just them there. Demons are ruthlessly pragmatic."

Serena shrugged and reached for her graduation gown and cap in the backseat. Aelius beat her to it and held out the black fabric.

"Thanks." She took it from him with a smile. "Thank you for dinner and for actually coming to my graduation."

"It's an important time."

"Yeah. That's what everyone tells me." Serena rolled her eyes and put a hand on the door handle.

He grabbed her hand before she slipped out and pulled her back. The reaper stared at the hand he held for a minute before looking back to the house.

"Undertaker?"

"Don't...call me that."

"Aelius?" She gave him a smile before slipped out of the car.

"That's better." He smirked and yanked her back in. Serena fell back into the seat and ended up stretched across the console. He slid a hand along her jaw, holding her head still as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. The red head blinked at him before smiling and sitting back up.

"Goodnight, Aelius." Serena smiled at him before closing the car door behind her.

As she stepped onto the porch, the reaper put the car in gear. He looked one more time at the door that was just closing behind her.

"Goodbye, Serena."

"Lucien. Corrine. I'm back," Serena called as she clicked on the little Tiffany lamp on the entry way table. No one answered her. "Lucien? Corrine?"

Still nothing.

"Holy shit, am I actually babysitter free?" Serena smiled as she walked into the dark kitchen and opened the door to the fridge. She reached in to grab a bottle of water and felt a prickling down her neck.

Serena straightened slowly and closed the door of the refrigerator as she tried to look around the room. As she turned to the living room, the scent of spiced vanilla danced on the air.

He had turned the overstuffed chair to face the kitchen, giving him a better angle to stare at her. The demon was dressed in his normal black, highlighting his lithe frame and pale skin. His head leaned on his hand as he stared at her with a smirk.

"Congratulations, my mate."

*Author's Note 2: I'm going to do a one-shot about this later. I already have the entire idea and half of it written.

**Author's Note 3: Please remember that this is a demon not an actual cat. Do not try this at home unless you possess an authentic demon that is disguised as a cat. And if you do, tell me where you got that. Share the love, ya know? Also, this scene was inspired by Simon's Cat: Let Me In.


	49. Chapter 49

Author's Note: There is still Edwin's little chapter but, I'm going to mark this completed. Because it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to do so. And, yes, I know that most of their more serious problems haven't been addressed yet. That's what the sequel is for.

You have no idea how hard it was to write this. I have found that I suck at writing a sex scene, but I did try. Also, I've already been reported for this chapter the first time around and no one in admin ever said anything, so it must fall within guidelines.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

A Demon's Mate

Chapter Fifty

"Sebastian?" Serena dropped her graduation gown and cap as she stared at the demon in the living room.

He moved slowly, taking his time uncrossing his legs and standing from his chair. She was caught again by the predator's grace as he walked toward her. His shoes made no sound on the glossy floor before he stopped in front of her, barely a foot away, leaving the last few inches for her to bridge.

The red head didn't know what to say. Those last few inches were filled with months of waiting, dreams, rules for behavior...and the learning of their consequences if broken. It was too far for her to move.

"Your contract is finished?" She shifted in her heels and grabbed a piece of her hair for something to do, something to keep her hands busy so she didn't reach for him. She couldn't, just not yet.

"It was finished shortly after your Fall Festival."

"What?" Serena stared at him while anger built behind the shock of seeing him again. "So, what? You've just been hanging out for the last few months?"

"Serena..." he reached out a hand to placate her.

"No!" She smacked it away and moved to put the island between them for more space to think, more space to vent. "I've been waiting since last summer for you, doubting that you were going to come at all. I've been harassed by Lucien, who hates me now by the way. Mostly because I had too much time on my hands, waiting for you to acknowledge my existence again. I've had my entire wardrobe overhauled by Corrine and her curling iron of doom. Thanks, by the way, for trading Edwin for her. I hope you realize that you got the short end of that particular deal."

"I am aware of it."

"Good for you." She grabbed the bowl on the counter, that normally held fruit in it's blue glass confines, and threw it at him. Sebastian ducked the bowl easily, letting it shatter someplace in the darkness behind him. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Interesting way to phrase it. I've been in my own personal hell."

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit."

"I've been waiting for you, like I have for over a hundred years."

That made her stop for a moment, made her remember that he had been waiting far longer than she ever could.

"Why?"

Sebastian waved to her outfit. "We once argued that your graduation was important to you when I said that it didn't matter anymore."

"You've been waiting for me to graduate?"

"I thought that was what you wanted. Do you think that I have enjoyed these last months? I've waited for over a century, I've watched your family for generations, waiting for you to be born. I was one of the first people that held you after your birth. And then I waited for you to grow up, each year harder to keep my distance than the last." He came closer and Serena didn't move away. "I waited while you tried dating, I waited while you were accepted into college. I watched as a plane carried you off to Tokyo and, in time, to our first meeting and, eventually your death. I saw that you were coming back before I was ready and tried to keep you busy for those last few weeks before your next semester started and you would be busy again. I had planned to keep you busy myself, not to be there in person, of course, but to watch and direct. I couldn't be close anymore and still give you this day. Instead, I was tied here and left to hear about it after the fact. After everything was done, after my interference would change nothing." His hands found the island behind her, leaning down to make her look at him, trapping her between himself and the butcher block. "I waited after my contract was finished for you to graduate. Something that was important enough for you to scream at me in the past. I waited, out in those damn trees, for you."

Serena felt the guilt, just like he wanted, as she looked into his swirling crimson eyes, inhaling the sweet, spiced vanilla scent of his skin with every breath. Her hand shot out to hit him.

"You're still a jackass." Her voice broke as she leaned forward to put her head on his chest.

Sebastian put a hand on her head, stroking down her hair before coming back to the crown again. "I know. It was while I watched you grow up that I figured out how important it was to you to graduate. To prove you could. I didn't want to be the reason why you didn't."

He laid a kiss on the top of her head, pushing her hair back to touch his lips to her cheek. Serena kept most of her face buried in his chest as his black-tipped nails skimmed her jaw.

"A hundred years and my mate won't even look at me?" He slid a finger under her chin.

Serena finally looked up at him again and he smiled. Sliding his fingers through her hair, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead. He followed the line of her nose to leave a kiss on the tip, following down to her lips. He stopped just before touching again, leaving the last millimeters for her.

Sebastian smiled against her mouth when she moved to meet him, feeling her fingers curl into his shirt. He licked her bottom lip, encouraging her to let him in and felt her shiver against him. His fingers trailed down her arms, leaving little bursts of electricity in their wake as he left skin to tangle in the fabric over her hips.

Serena gasped as he pulled her tighter against him, letting him slide his tongue against hers. She moaned at the same sweet taste she remembered. Her fingers used the fabric of his shirt to try to pull herself closer.

Serena pulled away to breathe and Sebastian attacked her neck, his hands drifting down to her thighs. He lifted her to the counter top as she pulled at the collar of his shirt, trying to touch more skin.

"I thought you didn't like me to sit on the counter," she forced out between gasps.

He smirked against her skin. "It's good under the right set of circumstances."

She smoothed her palms over his shoulders, feeling the heat of his body under the soft silk. Sebastian growled before sliding the shirt off, letting it drop to the floor and giving Serena the access that she wanted. He felt her smile when she could feel his skin, when her nails could leave faint trails in his flesh.

"I dreamed about this."

"I know." He smirked as he used her hair to pull her head back. "I sent you enough of them."

"You..."

Sebastian silenced her with another kiss. Running his hand down her back, Serena felt the buttons of her dress let go and the fabric loosen around her. The red head pulled away and held the dress to her chest.

Sebastian put his hands on the counter with a sigh, leaning into her but not touching.

"Sorry." She looked at the cabinet behind him. "I just ruined it, didn't I?"

"Do you still want me?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Even someone who was dead would still want you."

The demon smirked and leaned back into her. "Then relax. I'm all yours."

He put a hand over hers, threading his fingers through hers to pull her hand away from her chest. After a few heartbeats, Serena let go and let him slide the dress over her head. Sebastian threw the cloth away.

"Want to make sure that I can't get back into it?"

"The thought never crossed my mind," he smirked as he looked at the lace underclothes that Corrine had forced her into. "I don't know why you're so nervous. I figured that would be one thing you wouldn't be nervous about considering..."

"Don't be a jackass." She pointed a finger at him. "I'll find that dress faster than you can blink and we can spend the rest of the night talking."

Sebastian put his hands up in surrender. He looked down and stepped away from the counter.

"Do not tell me that you actually do want to talk."

"No. If you recall, I was offering this a long time ago." He took another step back. "There's something else."

Serena crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look comfortable in just her bra and panties on the kitchen island.

"What?"

He held up a hand, asking her to be quiet. The darkness closed in around them, shrouding just him as if he were a beacon for it. She saw his skin start to glow a little, catching the moonlight from the windows for himself. Serena gasped as black wings stretched up behind him before stretching out to encompass the length of the kitchen. Black linen changed to leather and dress shoes changed to heeled boots that came over his knees and ended in a wicked spike. His hair grew longer as did the fangs in his mouth. The hand he held out to her had longer nails, curved to resemble claws.

"You have to see me like this, to accept me like this. You have to accept the truth of what I am."

Serena stared at the creature in front of her and didn't even try to mask the fear she felt. She was drawn back to the swirling crimson that she recognized and let herself drop from the counter. The red head stumbled a little as she walked forward, drawn to the gaze she remembered. She stopped in front of him, waiting for him to touch her but he wouldn't. She had to make this choice on her own. He had already started the seduction but the choice was all hers in the end. She could still walk away and leave this behind.

Serena stared at the hand for a moment before lifting her own shaking fingers to lay into his. Sebastian's hand closed over hers, pulling her into his body and wrapping his wings around her. She touched the feathers closest to her and he growled in approval. They were just as soft as she remembered when they touched her cold skin that night in the past.

The red head gasped when she was lifted, the world around her nothing but the endless black of his wings and the pale wall of his flesh that held her. When the cocoon of feathers around her opened again Serena recognized her bedroom bathed in moonlight. Nothing was moved, but it wasn't how she left it.

The comforter and sheets had been rolled back, folded down to the end of the bed. The drapes had been left wide open, when she only ever left a small crack. Everything had been straightened and picked up. The floor gleamed in the moon without a trace of dust. She wondered for a brief moment, if she opened the closet, would all her clothes be hung equidistant from each other?

Her giggle was cut off by the smirk on the demon's face and feeling of falling as he let her go. Serena bounced on the mattress, her hair falling over her face. When she pushed it back so she could see, Sebastian had put a knee on the bed. A naked knee.

Serena looked away with a raging blush that had taken over her entire body.

Sebastian chuckled. "I wonder if you really tried to participate that night with Brandon. Did you just lay back and think of Queen and country and all that?"

The red head tried to glare at him but looked away. She pushed herself up against the headboard for space.

"Don't be a jackass," she reminded him.

Sebastian wrapped his fingers around her ankle. "It just makes this so much more fun."

He pulled her leg toward him and laid a kiss on the top of her foot. He pulled her shoe off, first one and then the other, and tossed them behind him with a smirk. His claws moved up her leg, tickling her skin as he went. He stopped again at her knee, letting his mouth linger there before continuing to her hip.

The backs of his fingers brushed across her panties, letting her feel the heat of his fingers through the lace. Serena swallowed when he hooked his fingers into the scraps of lace at her hips and pulled down. She watched him for a moment, him staring at her as he waited. With a sigh, she lifted her hips and let him slide the fabric down her legs to disappear with her shoes.

Serena breath caught when he laid another kiss at the juncture of her thighs.

"Later."

His mouth moved higher, pausing to dip his tongue into her navel. Serena gasped as he pulled her further down the bed with one jerk.

Sebastian smiled as he leaned over her. "There you are. I believe that I have been taking horrible advantage of you."

"I didn't mind much." She smiled but it was still unsure, her voice cracking a little.

"So, nervous. Just like a virgin." A single claw slid along the skin between her breast before jerking back down, slicing through the delicate fabric of her bra. "But, without the need to be so gentle."

Serena brought her arms up to cover herself but Sebastian grabbed her wrists and forced her arms down to her sides.

"I remember these." He laid a kiss on the top of one breast and then the other. "You teased me once with your naked body."

"I remember. Would you just stop looking at me? How would you like it if I just stared at you?" She took one look at his smiling face and knew that was the wrong argument.

"My mate, I would enjoy that immensely. My body is yours to do with as you wish. You may stare at me for hours, for days, years..."

"Enough." Serena laughed as she put a hand over his mouth to stop him. "I think your ego's big enough."

His tongue slid over her palm and the red head gasped. He watched her knowingly as her hand loosened and he slid his lips to her wrist. His lips followed the limb to her elbow as he slid down next to her on the bed. His wing stretched up and over her, cutting her vision of anything but him. She swallowed hard and laid a hand on his smooth chest.

He waited, encouraging her to explore him more and rewarded her with a purr as she followed the line of his body to his stomach.

Serena was surprised by the muscles under his skin. In his butler's uniform he had seemed so thin. He still was but without the clothes, his body was revealed as lean. He was a little more solid then she remembered and she thought back to a single passage that stated Sebastian had been starving for the end of his contract.

She stopped, her eyes darting up and back to his body. Sebastian put a hand over hers and took it from his skin to kiss her fingers.

"Don't worry, Serena. We have plenty of time."

"But, I want to..." She waved between them. "You know."

"Then touch me." Sebastian pulled her hand up to his shoulder and let it go there.

"Sorry. I guess I'm not the most exciting lover."

He stroked the soft skin of her stomach with a smile. "I've never been more excited. I've been thinking about this for over a hundred years."

Sebastian leaned down and kissed her again. Serena slid her hand into his silky hair, running her nails along his scalp and smiled at his shiver. He let go of her lips and nipped the soft skin of her throat. Serena's sighed followed her neck to her chest.

His head lifted to watch her. Feeling her body move with his rhythm, her head back and his name gasped from her mouth. He kept his fingers moving as he shifted, careful not to move the mattress beneath him as he moved her thighs further apart. Serena didn't notice as he knelt between her legs, keeping his hand on the thigh he held. He slid his fingers away. Her eyes opened to his kiss as something bigger than his fingers nudged at her.

"Shh," he smiled as his hand slid down her thigh. The demon sighed as he felt her around him. "Mine."

He waited a moment, let her grow accustomed to his place in her body. Her nails dug into his arm as he pulled his hips back.

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't leave."

She heard him laugh, hearing the triumph in his voice as he moved.

"Move with me."

Serena knew she was clumsy at first, not knowing the rhythm. Her hips found it on their own, matching his movements finding the pleasure he offered again. Sebastian lifted the hip he still held, changing the angle of his strokes and watched as her head fell back again.

Her eyes opened when she heard his voice, too soft to hear what he said. She saw something around her wrist, glowing brighter with every word from his mouth and every stroke of his hips. The other wrist was the same, the same bright glow around both of they're hands. She looked up and saw his lips moving, still not understanding the strange language. Around his neck was a glowing chain and around her own she felt a weight.

Sebastian opened his eyes as he finished the binding. He felt her body tighten around him, her cries getting louder and he sped his hips, pushing her higher, harder.

Speaking the last word, he heard her scream as the chains sunk into their bodies, binding them together. He watched as her eyes closed and her body fell limp around him.

He watched the change taking place as her skin brightened, smoothing to perfection. He touched her hair and felt the softer waves. A scar from a childhood accident, just in her hairline, faded and disappeared.

"My mate."

******************A Demon's Mate*************

Serena stretched, feeling deliciously sore in certain places but physically better than she had ever felt in her life. Emotionally, not so much. The sheets slid easily against her naked skin as she reached across the bed looking for her new mate. Cool sheets were all she found and a stab of panic went through her chest. She sat up quickly, seeing a lone black feather laid next to her to prove she hadn't dreamed last night. Her panic faded as she stroked the feather's silky edge.

The red head looked around the empty room, taking in the sunlight from the windows. The bedroom door was open and through it she could hear someone moving around the kitchen. Sebastian's shirt was laying across the end of the bed and Serena slid it on before walking out of the room.

Her demon was moving easily around the kitchen and something that smelled amazing was cooking on the stove as he sliced fruit on the counter top. Sebastian looked up as she came into the room, answering her smile with one of his own.

"Good morning, my mate." He held out a hand that she took easily and used to slide against him.

"Morning." Serena laid her head on his chest and breathed in the scent of his skin as she listened to the beat of his heart. "This is better."

"Better?"

She nodded against his chest. "I panicked a little when you weren't in the bed."

"Ah, I apologize." Sebastian ran a hand down the length of her long hair. "From what I understand that will fade over time."

"So, I have to keep you in sight at all times?"

"It's an excellent incentive to stay close to me."

"Like you need that." Serena rolled her eyes.

Sebastian tugged on the bottom of the shirt. "I like this better than you're normal attire. It is more modest than most of what makes up your wardrobe."

"Your age is showing." She laughed. "So, what was so important that I had to wake up alone?"

"I was going to wake you with breakfast."

"I have a better idea."

"What's that?"

She hooked her fingers in the waistband of his pants, tugging lightly. "Why don't you grab the fruit and come back to bed?"

He smirked as he shut the burner off. "I like that idea."

"It's brilliant, I know."

"And you didn't want to rush into sex."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm only saying that we could have been doing this in the past too."

Serena sighed and tugged a little harder. "Less gloating, more stripping."

A scratch on the front door interrupting their trip to the bedroom. Serena noticed his glare as Sebastian growled at the door and the scratching stopped.

"Who is it?"

He wasn't happy when he looked down at her. "I believe that your cat would like to see you."

"So, I finally get to meet the little perv?"

Sebastian waved a hand to the front door. "Come."

Serena turned, crossing her arms over her chest and waited. The man that came through the door was almost the same height as Sebastian with hair so black, it shone blue when the light hit it. His delicate aristocratic features had sharpened with a little bit of age, tilted just a bit to make them masculine. The way he moved, the way he carried himself made the jeans and shirt he wore look elegant and she recognized that most of all.

"Ciel?" Serena stepped around Sebastian in disbelief.

Ciel came forward with a smile and slid his hand along her jaw to hold her head still as he lowered his head to hers. It was nothing like last time. There was no trace of the gentle and unsure kiss now. His lips were firm and warm, the tongue invading her mouth was confident as he enticed her to play with him. She moaned as her fingers dug into his shirt.

A growl exploded through the room and Ciel ripped away from her. He laughed, a sound she had never heard from him, and danced behind her before Sebastian could tear his throat out.

"Whoa." Serena put up a hand to tell Sebastian to stop, the other went to her mouth. "Damn."

"Thank you." Ciel purred as he slid his arms around her stomach. He laid his head on her shoulder as he looked at her mate. "You said we could share."

"What?" The red head's mouth dropped at the idea that Sebastian thought he could decide who she was going to sleep with.

"You never give me the reaction I expect." Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest. "I thought this was what you wanted. You said you loved both of us."

Serena put her hands up for both of them to stop. "How did this even happen?"

****************A Demon's Mate*************

The demon reached forward and closed the eyes of his once master. Standing easily, he watched flames edge closer to the corpse and felt a strange urge to save it. Why? Ciel Phantomhive may have been one of the more interesting humans he had ever met, but the Earl was still human. They died and the shell rotted. There was nothing to save. He turned his back on his attachment, letting one of his feathers swirl in the heat-produced wind to land on the body as he walked away. A final farewell.

The demon still hesitated at the front doors for a brief second before striding out the opening made by the shattered pieces of heavy wood.

He was waiting on the other side of the drive. The demon held his head up as he walked down the stairs and stopped on the last. The old gentleman leaned on his walking stick, a smile on his face as he stared at the demon.

"I didn't think you made your own pick-ups."

"If you remember, I did make one myself."

The demon growled and jerked forward. He raised a hand and the demon found himself unable to move.

"I can't believe that you're leaving so soon. Didn't you make a promise to your mate?"

"And I kept it." The Elder growled. "Ciel Phantomhive is dead."

He smiled and shifted his weight on the cane. "It seems Serena learned something while she was here. You should think about the wording of the vow she asked of you."

 _'Promise you'll always watch over Ciel.'_

From behind him, the demon heard a heart begin to beat once more, heard the scramble as a body tried to stand on unsteady legs and the shuffle of weak footsteps.

The Elder remembered being the same way when he woke as a demon.

Turning, he watched the body of Ciel Phantomhive appear out of the flames and grab onto the door frame to try and step out into the night. Ciel took another step as his hand crushed the stone of the frame and his legs went out from under him. The Elder hurried forward and caught him. When Ciel looked up, he saw the swirling crimson eyes of a demon staring at him.

 _'Promise you'll always watch over Ciel.'_

The Elder sighed and picked up his newest demon. When he turned back the old man was gone, the night around them still and quiet except for the raging inferno.

*****************A Demon's Mate**************

"Aren't you glad I said always and not until you died?" Serena smiled as her mate finished the story.

They had moved into the living room while the demons related the tale, Ciel still sitting beside her while Sebastian leaned against the chair Corrine normally occupied.

"Why?" Ciel looked confused.

Serena scoffed. "He would have dropped you at the first opportunity."

Ciel looked at Sebastian as the Elder smiled at him.

"Hey, I wasn't that bad. I was interesting." He smirked. "I'm even more interesting now."

Serena's jaw dropped as she looked between them. "You two... I told them that there was something going on between you."

"Not until after I became a demon." Ciel looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Just think, now it's us three."

"Great, I'm not even used to having one."

"Oh, come on. That blush is excitement."

"It is not!"

"And now you're thinking of the possibilities."

"I am not." Serena got up and went for the nearest door. She went out onto the deck, Ciel right behind her.

"Tell me what you're thinking about then."

Sebastian watched them go, shaking his head. "I should have sent him back with Corrine and Lucien."

Ciel took the couch opposite Serena. He knew his appearance was a shock to her and that she probably needed time to digest it.

 _'But, I really thought that I and the others had given her enough clues.'_

"I can't believe that you were my cat. I also can't believe that you totally molested me."

He shrugged. "Be honored, I don't molest just anyone."

Serena rolled her eyes.

"I was trying to figure out what the big deal was."

"The big deal?"

"About you. I don't understand what makes him so obsessed with you." Ciel stared at her still not understanding and obvious about it.

"From what I understand, I'm not your mate. So, you wouldn't understand."

"I think that's a load of crap."

"You don't believe in love?"

He gave her a look and Serena took that as a no.

"So, Lizzy got you in the sack, had to marry your successor, and gave birth to your child, keeping your family line in power and you're saying that you didn't feel anything for her?"

"She's the one that kept pushing it." He leaned back into the cushion, stretching his arm across the back. "Lizzy didn't think that I was excited enough for the wedding."

Serena started to get angry, ready to rip his face off and stomp on it. But, something in his eyes made her stop. No matter how cold and hurtful the words that came out of his mouth, his eyes said something else. She caught a flash of his own pain in the stiffness of his shoulders, the loss of a smile on his face, the way his chin tilted up that reminded her of the time Earl Grey dismissed his ability as the Guard Dog and she decided to change the subject. She had her answer.

"How did this happen?" Serena waved to him.

It took a moment for Ciel to catch up with her, to pull out his own memories and his smile returned. "I told you, I died. And then I woke up again."

"No. I mean, what did you do to become a demon?"

"I'm not entirely certain." Blue eyes closed as he thought about her question. "It may have been when I said that I wanted nothing to do with God and that I hoped to spend eternity as far away from Him as possible. Hard to get farther than Hell."

"Hell." Serena sighed as she looked at the trees.

"You'll love it."

"I will?"

"The Elder and I will be there."

The red head raised an eyebrow. "You think that's enough?"

"What more could you want?" Ciel sighed at her outraged look. "It's just the fear of the unknown. Do we need to have one of our little talks again?"

Serena laughed at the reminder of old times. She smiled as she stood and opened her arms. "I missed you."

"I've been with you for months. Remember." He came to her easily, shocking the red head. "I'm a lot better at the physical now."

"I'm glad." Her eyes popped open as she felt his hand slip lower to her ass. Serena shoved away from him while he laughed. "Damn it! Are you always going to be trying to cop a feel now?"

"I haven't got my turn yet."

"Oh, hell."

Sebastian listened to the two of them from the living room. Ciel was a handful, had been since he had become comfortable with his demon status. The Elder knew that he hadn't given Ciel the time and training that he needed since he had been chasing Serena. He had given the new demon the basics and come running back to America. It didn't help that he found his former master an enjoyable companion as he was.

Once Ciel had figured out that he could compact his size into that of a feline, the young demon had used the form whenever he would have been in trouble.

With Serena in his home, he would need to address Ciel's discipline once and for all. Not something to look forward to. He was half-wild by now and would need even more work than if they had started as they should have. His overload of power would have to be addressed as well. His mate had done better than he had in that respect. Perhaps bringing her in on the Ciel problem would be beneficial to all of them.

The door opened and the two of them came back in looking happy with their situation. Sebastian stood as Serena came to him and wrapped herself around him with a smile. Ciel leaned against the door, watching them.

"I think someone needs a shower." Ciel stared at her and the red head blushed. "I could help you with that."

The Elder growled and Ciel put his hands up in surrender. The smile on his face didn't help convince them of his sincerity.

"You already had your shower time, remember?" The Elder growled at him.

Ciel smiled brighter. "Oh, right."

"How about I just take a shower alone." Serena stepped away from both of them and stopped Sebastian from following her. "Sorry, you missed your shot earlier."

Ciel tried to slide away but Sebastian caught him with a growl. The demon turned back into his little cat form and rubbed against Sebastian's leg with a purr.

The Elder sighed. "You won't always be able to get out of trouble that way.

"You two play nice." Serena's voice came out of her bedroom as the water in the shower came on.

Serena turned her face to the sun with a smile. Sebastian was deep into preparations for their departure and Ciel was keeping her company on the dock. She was trying to ignore the depression of leaving her little house, her world, her life. The small nut of panic at not having Sebastian next to her was alive and well in the pit of her stomach but was slightly lessened by the younger demon's presence.

Ciel had his eyes closed, small smile playing on his lips as the little breeze coming off the lake ruffled his hair. Serena turned back to study the demon that was holding her legs in his lap, his fingers lightly stroking her knee below the hem of the short, white sundress that she had found on her bed when she came out of the shower.

"What?" He didn't bother to open his eyes when he felt her watching him.

"Sorry," Serena blushed. "It's just, I've never seen you like this."

"Like what?"

"Peaceful."

Ciel's smile deepened. "I don't think I ever was peaceful. There was always anger in me, impatience, just beneath the surface. I don't think I was ever happy until I died. Even then it took a little while for it to kick in."

"So, you're happy with the way things ended?"

He opened his eyes again to look out over the water. "Yes."

"I was supposed to make Sebastian break your contract."

"In a way, you did."

"But, it was supposed to free you to be born again."

"Ah yes. That preceded my conversation with the most interesting priest." Ciel looked back at her, letting the demon's eyes to appear. "I lost my temper and my true feelings came out. That was the most horrifying ending I could think of for myself."

Serena looked down to her hands that were clasped tightly in her lap. "I wondered if you looked forward to your soul being eaten."

"I did. I don't know if that was my first life or my millionth, but I never wanted to do it again. There was a peace expected in the eating of my soul, in knowing that was the end." He stopped a moment to search the area around them. "And I can admit now that I was fine staying with Sebastian forever. It was a strange balance to me whenever I thought about it. Sebastian had taken care of me, protected me, fed me, granted me power for years. When he ate my soul, I would do the same for him. Our little arrangement was destroyed by your death. Exactly as expected."

"I can't say that I'm sorry."

"It's alright. If you hadn't been there, I wouldn't be this." Ciel waved his hands to encompass himself. "I think that I am more useful like this. It's more enjoyable for me as well."

"It's more than that. It's..."

Ciel smiled warmly as he finished her thought. "Freedom."

**************A Demon's Mate**************

"Alright, Alex." Serena swallowed around the lump in her throat. "I'll talk to you later."

Sebastian watched as she pressed the end button and hesitantly set the phone on the counter. Her expression was blank as she waited for the screen to go dark.

"I guess, that's it."

"Ciel is making sure that your package will be delivered after our departure." Sebastian leaned against the island, almost vibrating with impatience. "Is there anyone else that you want to call?"

The red head thought of her family first and remembered the empty seats at her graduation, the empty house at Christmas.

Serena shook her head. He held out a hand to help her from her seat and she remembered the previous night with a blush. Sebastian read her thoughts and smirked.

He took her hand and jerked her forward so she fell against him off balance. "We could take a little time."

"No." She still blushed as his naked fingers curled around hers. "But, what about my studio?"

"I've set up a space for you in our home."

Serena turned back to the bedroom. "My clothes. What about all the jewelry?"

"I have already taken inventory of your clothing and know your tastes and preferences." The Elder made her look at him. "Serena, I can recreate anything that you want from this plane. You cannot take anything with you."

"I know. You've said it enough."

Sebastian lifted her hand and laid a kiss on her knuckles. His eyes stared at her while holding her fingers against his lips. The red head sighed and nodded.

"I'm stalling."

"Yes, I am aware."

She took a last look around the little house and felt like crying. Shaking her head, Serena looked back to her demon.

"I'm ready."

Sebastian led the way out of the house. Behind her, Serena heard a loud noise and turned back.

"I've only shut down the electricity and gas. That way, nothing will happen until another uses the house."

"Right."

Ciel waited at the head of a trail leading into the woods. The demon was leaning against a tree but straightened as soon as he saw them. He tucked something into his pocket before Serena could see what it was and smiled at the two of them. He slid over to Serena's other side and brushed his hand against hers as he walked next to her. Serena threaded her fingers through his and noticed the small smirk as Sebastian sighed from her other side.

She didn't see Ciel drop whatever was in his pocket on the trail as they walked away.

******************A Demon's Mate****************

Major Walton took a good look at the house that matched the address on the invitation they had received. It was a decent looking home for his daughter and he wondered who had paid for it. Shutting off his car, he took a deep breath before opening his door.

He knew Serena was going to be upset and he didn't blame her. College graduation was normally a one-time event and she had been alone. He didn't look forward to telling her why. His mother had always had a close bond with his daughter and telling Serena of her grandmother's death was not a scene he wanted to witness, nor did he look forward to telling her that she missed the older woman's funeral. Unfortunately, her mother was in no shape to tell her and it fell to him.

Walking up the wood steps, he bounced a little on the stained and sealed boards, checking the strength of the wood. He knocked and took another look around as he waited. Climbing roses were curling around the outer pillars in shades of red and pink. The bushes in front were neatly clipped and no weeds were growing in the mulch. Everything seemed to be well kept up but no one had come to the door.

He knocked again and listened for anyone moving around. No sound came from inside the house. On a whim, Samuel tried the doorknob. The door opened without a sound.

"Serena?" He called as he stepped carefully into the small house. "Is anyone home?"

There was still no sign of a living being.

Samuel looked around the house his daughter lived in. Everything was bright and in order and he wondered who's house it was again. Serena was never this neat. Turning back to the kitchen, he saw a phone laying on the island. He touched the home button and the screen lit up, showing half battery life.

Serena couldn't have been gone very long. She never went anywhere without her phone.

He checked the other rooms, making sure no one was there and making note of the house's perfection. Walking into the little studio, he admitted that the house seemed built for an artist and his suspicion grew. How did his daughter just happen to luck into such a perfect house by the lake and how did she afford it?

Samuel saw the doors leading onto the deck and went outside. The cushions for the couch were missing but otherwise, the outside was just as kept up as the inside and front porch. He looked over the side and saw a path leading down to the lake. It was a nice day and he wondered if she was down there. Serena had always loved their summer vacations to the lake.

As he walked through the woods, Samuel remembered those vacations to this same lake. It had worked out well, his family got away from town but he was still close to the base. Serena had always run to the lake first and jumped in, clothes and everything. And his son was right behind her as soon as he learned to swim. Their mother had made a fuss each time, but he knew she found it as funny as he did. The bonfire had been another favorite. Their last night, he had always made a huge fire by the lake shore and Serena and her brother were allowed stay up as late as they wanted.

All that had changed when she told them that she wanted to go to an arts college.

When he cleared the trees, he wondered why that was such a bad thing to him. Serena had her stuff together. She always knew what she was doing, which classes she needed to take, where she was going next. Why couldn't he have been content with that?

 _'Because I'm her father and she should have listened to me. I need to know that she can take care of herself. Serena would never be one to depend on someone else to take care of everything. She'd never be happy as a trophy wife and I wouldn't be to see her like that. She's too smart, too driven.'_

The dock was empty. The boards were steady under his feet as he walked to the end of the dock and looked out over the water. He recognized the shore across the lake and the rental cabins that were hidden in the woods. But, the water itself was still.

There was no one here.

Shaking his head, he decided to go back to the house to wait.

******************A Demon's Mate*******************

Serena opened her eyes as Sebastian set her down in a field. A rainbow of colors bloomed around them and the high grass was soft against her legs. A warm wind moved low across the ground bringing fog from beyond the cliff up over the edge.

Ciel stood next to the edge, framed by the fog. As Serena stepped forward, the perfume of the flowers she disturbed rose up to meet her.

"It's so beautiful."

"Not what you expected?" Ciel smirked at her unfinished thought.

"Well, you know on TV they were talking about all these sites that are supposed to be the gateway to Hell. I expected more..." Serena waved her hand around.

"Humans always look for something dramatic, something evil looking." Sebastian slid an arm around her waist, his thumb rubbing her hip. "I don't know if a human has ever really set foot here. There's a barrier around this cliff that warns them away."

"What, like a sign? Entrance to Hell, trespassers will be shot?"

"No, it's a feeling of foreboding, fear that makes them turn back before they reach this area. Even planes flying overhead take a longer route rather than fly over the cliffs."

"That's nice. Don't want anyone stumbling over that by accident."

Sebastian led her to the cliff's edge and she tried not to dig her heels into the ground. He stopped just before the edge and his arm fell away. The Elder joined his demon at the edge, facing her. Ciel nodded.

"See you at the bottom." The younger demon gave her a smile and a wave before jumping back and disappearing into the fog.

Serena rushed forward but couldn't see anything.

"He's fine." Sebastian drew her attention back to him. "This is the last step, Serena. After this, you cannot go back. And, that is why you must make this decision on your own. I cannot influence your choice or give you any other."

Serena felt dread start in her stomach. "What does that mean?"

Sebastian walked to her and leaned down to pull the red head into a kiss. Serena moaned as she remembered where kisses led. In her mind, she could see everything from their first meeting to now. When he pulled away, Sebastian was once more in his full demon form. His wings curled around them and blocked out the rest of the world as he looked at her. His fingers brushed her cheek, stroked through her hair and took her hand once more. He laid a kiss in her palm and held it against his face for a moment. His eyes closed as he took in the scent of her skin, letting it replace the smell of death he remembered from the past. When his eyes opened again, he let go and his wings opened around her.

Serena felt the cold breeze of the night and shivered as Sebastian walked away. At the edge of the cliff, he looked back to her.

"You must jump on your own."

The girl rushed forward but his wings moved and the wind made her close her eyes and lift her arms to cover her face. When she looked up again, Sebastian was gone.

Serena looked over the edge and the fog that concealed the end of the drop. Vertigo took over and she threw herself away from the cliff.

"Oh, God!"

"Yes?"

The red head jumped and looked behind her to see the same old man with a small smile on his ageless face.

"You called?"

"Well, I didn't think you were going to actually answer." Serena stood and brushed herself off. "And scare the crap out of me while you were at it."

"You weren't paying attention to your surroundings. How is that my fault?"

Serena glared and looked back at the cliff's edge.

"Why do I have to jump?" She looked back to the man with a whine. "Is this some kind of 'fall from grace' test?"

He shrugged. "If you choose to see it that way. It's always about choices. What do you choose, Serena? This is your last chance to turn back. You can go back to your life, the career you wanted, your human family. Or, you can follow your demon, to what humans have named Hell."

The red head rubbed a hand over her face and groaned. "Why does it have to be heights?"

"I suppose that I could help you a little."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Serena turned around.

He put a finger in the middle of her chest. With a smile on His face, the finger pushed until she was off balance and fell backward. The cliff edge appeared behind her and she kept falling. He was smiling as the fog swallowed her whole and her scream echoed up from the depths.

******************A Demon's Mate******************

Three days after Serena's graduation, Undertaker looked around the smoke-filled pub and located Ronald's blonde head heading for a table in the back. The reaper had finally left his little shop to meet with the others. He moved easily through the crowd, taking note of the appreciative looks sent his way from the women and the some of the men.

 _'One thing I miss from having the scars.'_

Spears looked up from his beer and nodded to the elder reaper as he took the seat across from him. Ronald smiled as Grell came through the crowd and waved the red head over.

"So, how was Serena's graduation?" Will leaned back in his seat and took a sip from his beer.

"Perfectly normal as I understand them to be."

"I take it that demon wasn't there?"

"I wouldn't say that exactly." Undertaker looked away and noticed the story currently on the news channel over the bar.

The others noticed his attention stray and focused on the TV as well. Undertaker walked to the bartender and told the man to turn the sound up.

"American authorities have asked for assistance in the location of a missing person. Last summer, Serena Walton stayed in London for several weeks and appeared to have contacts in the area. Authorities have asked that anyone that has information on her whereabouts..."

"There's your answer." Undertaker looked at the others and shook his head. "I have to go."

Ronald reached out to stop him but Grell grabbed his arm. When the younger looked back at him, the red reaper shook his head. Will left the table and went up to the bar. When he came back, the manager had a bottle of champagne and three glasses.

When he popped the cork, Ronald caught it and looked at the small piece before putting it in his pocket. Will handed each of them a glass and raised his own.

"To destiny, finally realized."

"Only took a hundred years." Ronald scoffed and drained his glass.

They sat at the table in the back and finished the bottle, enjoying their own little mourning celebration.

Aelius walked through the door of his shop, fighting the urge to smash everything around him. Nothing had changed in the room in which he stood but the world felt tilted to him, grayed from it's normal colors. He rushed through the shop area and the work room to slam the door to the living space of his little building.

The urge hadn't ceased and he ripped the hook he normally used for his coat from the wall. Throwing it across the room, his favorite chair was next in his path and flew with a much more satisfying crash at the end of it's flight. His arm lashed out at the next object but stopped at the last moment.

His table of portraits, the only other possession left in the room that he hadn't destroyed, sat innocently in front of him. Dozens of eyes stared up at him from people he had loved, respected, sometimes confided in over his years of life. He let a finger trace where his scars used to be.

 _'Did I really let my father heal all of my scars?'_ He laughed at himself. _'Did I really think their absence would really change anything?'_

His head dropped as Aelius went back to the work room and picked up the piece he had completed weeks ago before burying it beneath some scrap wood. The former reaper acknowledged that he had hoped to never use it. His fingers rubbed over the roses he had lovingly carved to match a casket he had made over a hundred years before and stained a shining ebony. Taking it back into the apartment, Aelius stopped in front of the table again. He pulled out the picture that he had printed months ago, a lifetime ago, from his pocket.

It was the only picture he had that included himself. Serena smiled at him from beneath one of his old hats and wrapped in his robes, matching his own outfit. The two laughed at each other in the picture that had been taken months ago.

He slid the photo into the frame and placed it on the table, in front of the sketch of his mother.

*****************A Demon's Mate***********

Malory followed the large crate into her husband's office, Alex trailing behind her. The return address stated that it was from Serena but the girl hadn't told them that it was coming. Jameson had already checked the wooden crate over before bringing it to her attention, so she felt it was safe to open.

She wasn't certain that she wanted Alex in the room though. Some sense of foreboding surrounded the crate as it came into the house.

Henry looked up from his computer when they entered, his gaze immediately going to the wooden crate.

"What's that?"

"It's from Serena. I had a feeling that we should open it together."

Henry stood and came around his desk. Standing with his wife, he leaned down so Alex wouldn't hear them. "I was on the phone with a banker from Japan. It seems there are some accounts there that are being transferred to us."

"Why?"

"He simply said that the original owner had indicated they were to be signed over."

Alex ignored them as he circled the box almost as tall as him. Jameson smiled down at the boy, who had become much easier to handle since Serena's visit, and finished pulling the top off the crate.

Inside, the contents were wrapped with plain brown paper. Jameson pulled out the first and handed the letter taped to the top to Malory.

 _"I wanted someone to have this, although it's worthless as a sale piece. Well, it's probably copyright infringement at the very least but it still seemed awful to throw it away myself. Feel free to do so if you want."_

Malory frowned but waved Jameson to unwrap it.

Mayfair was revealed in all its glory. She recognized some of the shops that she frequented but saw, interspersed throughout were some that she had never seen. People walked on the street and she realized some were wearing Victorian dress as they moved among those in clothed in modern jeans and skirts. The line about copyright infringement made sense when she recognized the character of Grell on the top of one of the buildings with William T. Spears and Ronald Knox. Looking closer at the street, she saw the images of Ciel's servants from the manga in different spots. Mey-Rin stared into a shop window with Bard behind her. Snake was carrying a bag, one of his pets peeking out as he bought food from a street vendor. Finny was carrying a crate easily down the street. Ciel and his butler were seen walking between the shops, Undertaker staring at the Earl from atop one of his famous coffins.

"She's right." Henry studied the piece. "We could never sell it."

"Can I have it?" Alex touched the frame. "I want to put it in my room."

"I suppose. We should see what the other one is."

 _'For Malory'_ was written on the next note and she opened this one as well.

 _"I thought that you might want this. Although it can't really be displayed where others can see it as he was wiped from records."_

Jameson tore the paper away to reveal a boy really. He sat in a chair, a chair they recognized as in the office by the bookcase behind him that held the vault. He wore a suit of blue, white ruffles of lace showed at his cuffs and throat. On his black gloved hands were the signet ring used by the Earl as well as the blue diamond that Malory wore.

Henry swore under his breath as he recognized the resemblance to his son.

 _Ciel, Earl of Phantomhive,_ was written on the gold name plate set into the frame.

Alex bounced around the portrait with a smile on his face. "It's him. It's the man from the garden."

*******************A Demon's Mate******************

Ciel stared up at the fog obscuring their view of the top of the cliff. He looked at his Elder and tried to gauge his mood.

"Maybe she doesn't want to jump. You know that she has a fear of heights."

He heard a growl.

"She has to jump." The Elder didn't bother to look away from the fog. "She will. Serena just needs a minute."

The younger demon shrugged. "Maybe I could go back up and give her a little shove?"

The Elder glared at him and Ciel held up his hands.

A scream came from the fog and the Elder's wings swept out, making Ciel jump back. He disappeared into the fog and the scream cut off. The Elder appeared again, Serena in his arms. When he touched the ground, Serena was smiling as he set her down.

She looked up at the fog and whispered, "thank you."

"What's that about?"

Serena shook her head with a laugh. "Nothing."

The red head looked around, taking in the rock formations that spewed steam to add to the fog and the jagged cuts of glassy boulders that took up the ground. Darkness took over early in and the red head couldn't see any farther than twenty feet in front of her. Heat enveloped them, wrapping around Serena as she stared at their surroundings.

"Well, this is nice."

"Really?" Ciel sent her a look that perhaps she had gone insane.

"No. Please tell me we're not going to be living in a cave," she whined when she looked back to the two demons. "Because, if so, I would like to vote now to go back to the lake house. Much better view and comfort."

The Elder laughed and slid an arm around her waist. He started to lead her deeper into the darkness, Ciel following behind them.

"This is the outer edge. We haven't even reached the gate yet."

Serena looked up, still cautious. "I still haven't heard a no to the whole cave thing."

"No," he smiled down at her. "I am not taking you to a cave."

"Promise?"

"I swear it." He put a hand over his heart to add to the oath.

"Alright."

Ciel laughed at the two of them and walked around them to go on ahead. Serena watched him go and took the opportunity to snuggle into her demon's side, holding on to him as they went into the darkness.

He felt her fear and wrapped one of his wings around her as well. "The gate is right ahead of us. Once we pass through, home is not far away. Perhaps we'll take the scenic route."

"Will you tell me your name now?"

The Elder laughed as he looked down at his mate.

"Malphas."

* In a copy of Soloman's Key, that I found when I started writing this fic, Malphas is described as an architect (think of all the times he rebuilt the manor), and appearing as a gentleman dressed in black with perfect manners (remember the lessons he gave Ciel). There are several other fics that use Malphas as Sebastian's demon identity and I didn't want to copy, but that description fits him better than any other from what we see in the series.


	50. The Tale of Edwin

Author's Note: This is an extra chapter focusing on an OC. I wanted to give a little glimpse into Edwin, who quickly became one of my favorite creations. I hope that I've done him justice and that you all can wait a little longer for the sequel, in which he'll appear again. This wasn't the extra chapter that I had originally envisioned, but Edwin just wouldn't leave me alone. I would like to remind everyone that as cuddly as you want him to be, he's still a demon.

Takes place after the art exhibit but before Edwin goes to London.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, Asta, and the demons (Edwin especially) and descendants that I introduce.

The Tale of Edwin

Lust and greed were two sins that went hand in hand. Lust was wanting something, wishing for something and possibly acting on that wish. An uncontrolled want. Greed was the deep end of that same pool. Greed was seeing something that you wanted, something someone else had and doing whatever you had to do to get it. Whatever vile, disgusting and truly evil deeds to get what you wanted. Greed was wanting to take it from someone else. Wanting to hoard it away, to keep it from everyone else.

It was the feeling Edwin had lived with when human and more often than not, indulged in. As commander of a vast army, it was quite easy to take things from those that were defeated. Easy to take the best for himself and leave the rest for his men to fight over. It was the same feeling in humans that drew him when he woke as a demon.

It was the same feeling that he had recognized in Nadine the day he had met her in the bookstore. Serena hadn't noticed it, the folly of a pure soul. They normally felt uncomfortable around those steeped in sin, but generally not threatened. She hadn't realized that it was herself that Nadine wanted. To hold Serena's talent and light for herself and see the envy written on others faces as she made certain that they would never get close enough to touch the red head.

It wasn't going to happen. Edwin had made certain that Lucien was aware of Nadine and before he left, the girl would have her own warning from him. He had learned a lesson from his failure. Serena was young and relatively naive. He should have come at the problem from the other end from the very beginning. He couldn't change what had happened...but he could make sure it didn't happen again.

It was why he had left his charge again, to track down the source of his disgrace. The lights of the bars and clubs in the college town beckoned to humans, young and old, to come and indulge in their sins freely. Vengeance, wrath, pushed him down the street. No wonder the Elder indulged in it. It was powerful feeling to track down someone that had wronged you with the intention to strike them down. Or show them just how powerless they really were...how insignificant and frail they really were.

Nadine certainly had popular taste. Barely dressed humans stood in a line outside a brick building reminding him of cows waiting for milking. Several turned to watch him walk past. Some reeked of lust, others responded to the power that seeped from his hunger looking for prey.

But they weren't who he was looking for.

It wasn't normal for Edwin to have a specific prey in mind. Most demons fed on essence and any human would do as long as they indulged enough in the specific sin that called to that demon. There wasn't a need for deals or substantial amounts of time. All the humans needed was a good orgasm and their souls cracked open like pistachios.

 _'Le petit mort, indeed.'_

The doorman didn't even bat an eyelash as he saw Edwin and stepped aside smoothly so the demon didn't break stride as he was waved inside.

Bass pounded through his body in time with the burning need for revenge. Darkness, broken only by strobe lights, surrounded him as plans moved through his mind. He followed the flow of greed through the humans that crowded the club's interior to its center and found his prey easily enough on the upper level. The taint of her soul made her a beacon to any demon that fed on greed.

The upper level was really nothing but a glorified catwalk that clung to the outer fringes of the cavernous space. Small tables and a few chairs were set up for those that were tired of dancing and wanted to watch the others on the floor. There he found his target.

He supposed that Nadine was attractive according to the current standard of beauty. She certainly had the height that Serena had often lamented. Blonde hair, that didn't reek of the choking scent of dye, hung thick and straight to her shoulders and emphasized the sun-kissed tan of her skin, most of which was displayed by the small strip of fabric that barely covered the essentials and passed as a dress in this culture.

He did understand that. When he had been human, a woman's skin was expected to carry a golden tint, his had been people that loved the sun. The rest of it he didn't get. His mother had been the envy of most around her with her short stature and midnight dark hair. His own wife had barely reached his shoulder.

 _'I don't even remember her face or her name,'_ Edwin thought. _'But she was beautiful. Nothing else would have been acceptable for a successful general.'_

Mentally shrugging, he let it go. He didn't suppose it really mattered as the woman had been dead and dust for millenia. His concern was the live woman in the level above him and the danger she represented to his Elder's mate.

 _'Not my Elder for much longer.'_ The demon wondered how it had come to this and wanted to howl. Since Malphas had pulled him from the pit fights, Edwin had always made sure he was the most useful, carrying out every request his Elder made of him with care and attention to detail. In one act, centuries of loyalty and respect had been wiped away. Now that his anger had cooled, he could see it wasn't really Serena's fault. She had been forced to play a game that she didn't know and didn't understand, while still trying to hold onto her humanity. She knew that humans did horrible things to each other, but she didn't understand that it could happen to her. Even after tasting death once.

 _'Look at her time in Tokyo. Teo had reported time and again that Serena walked the city at night alone without a care. She often left friends and the lighted streets to explore the less popular areas of the district she lived in. On several occasions Teo or Gusion's demons had been forced to step in to make sure the less savory humans left her alone.'_

Edwin sighed as he thought of the Elder's reaction to the reports. _'Perhaps if they had let her see the consequences of her actions more often, she would have a better understanding of the humans that surrounded her. Serena would never do the horrible things that she knows of so she doesn't think that anyone would try them with her. She doesn't understand how her soul calls to those that are stained.'_

On the heel of that thought, the demon shook his head. Edwin would never had let her feel the first bite of any human that tried to harm her. The demons that had watched her had made the same decisions that he would have.

Nadine wasn't quite at fault either. She was doing only what she knew. She wanted Serena for herself and took steps to get her. The fact that she hadn't bothered to understand her prey spoke only to her youth and the idea that her looks and manner would pull in whoever she wanted. Nadine would have been better off getting close to the red head through their shared interests and quiet time in the studio. He could fault her for getting Serena alone. The blonde had known that Edwin was around from the day they met in the bookstore and his presence had warned her off. She had waited until Serena was alone to make her move.

That he could fault her for. Instead of trying to take Serena from him, she had simply moved around him. Coward.

Moving easily through the crowd of humans, Edwin ignored the looks of appreciation shot his way. Except for one. The bartender was staring as he mixed a drink for the trio of girls on the other side of the stretch of wood. Enough pride emanated from the dark-haired, older man practically screaming 'owner.'

A plan took shape in his mind. _'Perfect, and I didn't really have to do anything.'_

It didn't take much. An interested glance and the man almost dropped the bottle he was holding. The demon watched the man lean over and talk to the other behind the bar with him as Edwin came through the crowd. The human lifted the slab that kept others out and slid from behind the bar. Edwin met him, seeing the man jump at his presence and held back a smirk. Now so close, he could see the man's story in every movement of his body. An experiment, a dare perhaps, to try something he was sure that he would never enjoy had lit off a craving in the human. He saw the man rub the gold wedding band on his finger with his thumb before straightening his shoulders. His decision was made and he nodded to the door blending in with the black wall.

A brightly lit hallway greeted them as the door shut on the din of the club. They both moved out of the way of a passing woman dressed in black pants and white shirt that showed a generous amount of cleavage.

"Hey, Mia." The man snagged her arm as she passed. "Help Chad on the bar for a while."

"Sure thing, Boss." She pulled her dark brown hair up and wrapped a band around it before sliding out the door with a smile.

He stopped again outside another door in the hallway. His hands shook a bit as he pulled a ring of keys from the belt loop on his pants. Edwin slid up behind him, crowding the human with his larger body while taking the keys from the other man's hand and unlocking the office. The man laughed nervously as he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

So close, with none of the distraction of other humans, Edwin could see exactly what the man wanted. As soon as the door was shut, the demon pulled him around and slammed the human up against the metal.

A moan and the smallest shiver ran through the man's body as Edwin used his own body to hold him against the door. Hands grabbed clumsily at the demon's body as Edwin took possession of the man's mouth, images from his subconscious parading behind the demon's eyes.

Edwin's appeal to the man beneath his hands, named Aaron, had nothing to do with demonic powers or the state of Aaron's soul. Speaking of which, wasn't too bad actually. No, it had everything to do with Edwin himself, his build and his presence.

A little more power, a little more persuasion from large hands and the story spilled from Aaron's mind. It had been his wife's idea. Her request and fantasy that had started the whole thing. After almost twenty years of marriage and three children and building a demanding business, their sex life had long ago slid down the priority list. They both had known it and both had caught themselves looking at others. Wondering for an instant of the possibilities. Neither had ever been with anyone else. They were married right out of high school with their first baby not far behind. When the children were growing, the hours piling up to build the club into a successful business, there was distraction. There was always something to be done, somewhere to be. Now, the distractions were fading away. Two of their children had left for college and the third was finishing high school and always with her friends. The club was stable and Aaron really only worked the bar to get out of the back room every once in a while. His general manager could handle almost everything. He didn't really need to be there every night. But it was hard to stay home.

Home was where he couldn't run away from his wife. Where he couldn't ignore how much had changed...and how much hadn't. Both knew they were unhappy, in a rut, but neither could figure out how to break the monotony.

Until he'd overheard Katie's conversation with her best friend when he had come home early from the club one night.

 _'I mean, of course I've thought about sex with other people. I'm only human. I've always let the idea go easily enough. But lately, it's all I think about.'_ A pause. _'Of course, I still love Aaron. I couldn't imagine life without him. I just...I don't know.'_

" _Just once would be fine, right?"_ Aaron's voice drifted through Edwin's mind. " _Especially if I set it up and I'm there. Katie can have what she wants without the guilt and maybe it's just what we need."_

An image flashed through Edwin's mind of the bouncer at a rival club. Aaron and the owner of the other club, James, had had a friendly competition going on for years. Competition over their clubs, the entertainment they brought in, the people they employed, as well as a weekly poker game. It was after one of those games, away from the others that joined them that the story had come spilling out. Aaron had been on edge for a week and once he started explaining, he couldn't stop until he was finished.

James had been surprisingly understanding. He was the one that told Aaron to talk to his new bouncer. Katie had been shocked but he could see the excitement that came over her after a little explaining.

Little did either of them know that Katie's fantasy would give Aaron one of his own.

It wasn't really the sex that Aaron wanted, it wasn't the thought being with another man that excited him. It was the power, the control that Edwin represented. It was letting someone else make the decisions, letting someone else direct. Something that wasn't in Katie's character. She was his wife and his partner in everything. She had always been a constant fount of ideas for the club, for their children, for their house, for their parties every summer. But the final decision was always left to him. Just once, he wanted someone else to make the decision, to make the moves and let him just be, let him just feel.

 _'Honestly, I'll never understand humans. To stay unhappy just so as to not confront someone with a problem. All for love. Ridiculous.'_

Edwin kept his thoughts to himself as his hands made quick work of opening Aaron's pants and pushing them down. It wasn't the sex that Aaron wanted, he didn't want the penetration. Force had never really appealed to Edwin and he didn't need the release, so he did nothing. Letting the human cling to his larger frame was enough as he teased the body beneath his hands. The demon watched and moved with clinical interest and remembered a time that working a human's body had excited him. There was once a time when he had enjoyed the sounds and sight of his prey as their own flesh betrayed them.

As Aaron's breathing grew more erratic, Edwin fell into his memories again. One of the first times the Elder had brought him and Lucien to the human world to feed. Edwin and Lucien had planned to find a few humans that would satisfy their hunger and then return. Malphas was the one that taught them both to think big.

 _Young demons almost always had a fascination with sex. What had been pleasurable as a human, was now exponentially better with a demon's enhanced senses. All spent at least some time lost in the sensations, sounds and pleasures of their prey's body. Sometimes that fascination could last forever, as it seemed to have for Lucien. He felt that knife-edge of jealousy again and buried it. Lucien couldn't help that lust appealed to him. He had to eat, just as they all did. Having a mate didn't change their physiology._

 _His memory shifted to that first meal after he had joined Malphas' house. It had been nothing more than the three of them at the time. An ancient palace, nothing but dust now, filled with humans celebrating something or other. They were gathered in the throne room when the demons had walked in. The Elder was in his normal form, something they had been told time and again to hide while amongst humans. Edwin hadn't understood what he was doing at first._

 _The humans had stared at the Elder as he strode to the very center of the room. They hadn't known what he was, what he was there for, or why they had been mesmerized by the beautiful man's movements. Malphas has smirked back at Edwin and Lucien before his boot struck the floor and they felt pure power snake through the room, whispering to each of the humans in turn. Neither of them had known what to think as the humans were taken over, their clothes sliding from their bodies. Hands reached and sounds of sex had quickly filled the room._

 _"I thought you were hungry." The Elder turned to them, smirk still on his face as he waved them to join the fun and feast until they were content._

 _"How did you...?"_

 _He put a finger to his lips. "Perhaps someday, I'll tell you."_

 _It was that day that he truly understood what made Elders so different from those like Lucien and himself. Although they were attracted to specific sins, sought out souls so steeped in it that they would never be allowed to continue, it was the embodiment of all sins in a single being that made an Elder. One who could evoke and attract every sin that man indulged in._

 _Lucien hadn't been picky. The blonde had simply slipped into the nearest grouping while Edwin was more discerning. He had walked the room, hunger cramping his body and mouth starting to water, taking in each orgy around him. There was a group toward the head of the room, close to the throne that called to him. Jewels dripped from each of the humans creating a shining display of greed as they grabbed for each other, stealing the embrace of others or holding them down to take._

 _'It was then that I discovered greed appealed to me.'_

Edwin fell back to the present as Aaron yelled in his ear. He felt he muscles of the other man's body tighten and the warm pulses as he still worked the body he held, milking for more as he slid into the human's mind.

 _'I require use of your office this night. You will not return here tonight. Your employees will not enter here tonight. You will say nothing when I come back here again later.'_

"Do you understand Aaron?"

"Y...yes," the man whispered as his breath started to come back.

"Good." Edwin pulled his pants back up for him and zipped them.

He backed away from Aaron, letting him find a way to stand on his own. As he opened the door, the demon looked back.

"You should talk to your wife."

Aaron's head shot up. "How do you..."

Edwin merely raised an eyebrow and the man's head dropped.

"She's not like that. It's not her."

"Perhaps the idea has simply never occurred to her. Have you ever let her take the responsibility? For anything?"

"No."

The demon didn't say anything else as he slipped out the door, leaving Aaron to collect himself while he made sure his prey was still where he left her. Nadine was no longer on the upper level of the club and he felt a small stab of panic. He followed the scent of her soul through the crowds of people, followed the flow of greed to its center once more, on the dance floor.

Edwin walked around the edge of the room, keeping sight of his prey as well as the hidden door. Sweaty, aroused bodies writhed together on the floor to the beat of drums pounding through them. Touching and movements designed to entice in an ancient dance. No matter how "advanced" humans believed themselves to be some things never changed. The primal need to choose and attract a lover never evolved. Choosing adornments that accented their strengths, hiding whatever flaws their societies or they themselves deemed they possessed. Movements that emphasized their skills and what they offered a partner.

The hidden door opening drew his eye away from the dancers as Aaron appeared. He leaned over the bar and called to one of his employees. Mia, the girl they had passed earlier bounced over with a smile. Edwin didn't bother to try to overhear their conversation, he could see everything he wanted in their expressions.

 _'He's a good leader.'_ Edwin felt the thought pass through his mind as he saw the concern on Mia's face that her employer was waving off. Genuine concern from others followed the man as he hurried to the doors and the world beyond. _'Hmm. The office is clear.'_

The demon refocused on Nadine in the middle of the floor and let a trickle of power wrap around her, brushing past others as it found its target. He knew the moment she was caught. Her body shivered and lost its rhythm in the dance before she looked around her for the source. Her eyes were dilated when they finally met his and he knew she recognized him.

Nadine picked up the rhythm again, surrounded by her friends, dancing only for him. She didn't understand it wasn't needed and it didn't matter what skills she had, he would be in control of their encounter. Still, he decided to lean back against the wall behind him and enjoy the show for a while.

Several others tried to catch his attention, but he turned them away without a second thought. Nadine had been watching as each came up to him and smirked when Edwin waved them off. He supposed that he had waited long enough. Elegantly pushing off the wall, Edwin slipped easily through the people on the dance floor instead of going around, making sure that Nadine saw him.

Edwin made himself comfortable in the chair in front of the owner's desk and waited for his meal. Nadine didn't disappoint him when she looked through the door before putting the sultry look back on her face when she saw him. He waved her in, adopting a bored attitude. He knew it worked when a flash of anger flitted through her eyes and more effort slipped into her shutting the door behind her. She started to walk forward, intent on him, but Edwin raised a hand to stop her.

"First rule of business, always see what you're getting."

Nadine smiled and reached around to unzip her dress. It slithered to the floor as only thin silk can, revealing that she was naked underneath.

 _'Ah, so she was looking for someone anyway.'_

He didn't speak as he waved her forward. When his finger twirled in a circle Edwin wondered if he'd lose her for a moment. Pride was obviously another vice she loved. Men normally worked for her, not the other way around and it wasn't an experience she particularly liked. But, she was here and not leaving without a trophy. He had her.

His fingertips skimmed her skin, making her shiver, as she moved slowly in a circle, letting him see all she offered. Every inch of her warm skin was tanned and he could almost taste the lotion she used to encourage the pretty color to bloom over her body. There wasn't a trace of hair and he remembered Serena's insistence on visiting the salon for a waxing just a day ago. She had done it for the show, encouraged by Nadine. A smoother painting surface, yes, but Nadine also liked this look. He tapped the little diamond that winked from her belly button.

"Very nice."

Nadine smiled in triumph. "I can be very nice."

"Really?"

A predator's smile never left her face as she slid to her knees as Edwin slid back into his memories.

 _He had been enamored of the humans around him for a while but there was something he could hear that kept stealing his attention. The soft, metallic twinkling was too soft for the humans to hear over themselves but Edwin could hear it and wondered at it's source. Taking a last sip from the soul beneath him, he focused on the sound and followed it through the room. He saw Lucien's golden head before it was swallowed again by the people around him, but it wasn't coming from there._

 _The rest of the room was a cluster of moans and screams, flesh sliding against flesh and sins devoured. It came again and he finally found the source. In the front of the room, on the raised dais, the Elder relaxed in the king's throne. His attention was focused on the young girl kneeling between his legs, the sound coming from the bells that had been woven throughout her dark red hair._

 _Edwin didn't understand the jealousy that had flared as he turned back to those that surrounded him. He looked back and realized it came from the indulgent smile as the Elder stared down at the girl. Malphas was immensely pleased with her and he hated it. Visions of the Pit went through his mind and a shiver of fear moved down his spine. Edwin shook his head. He wouldn't go back there. He would keep the demon that saved him happy, keep Malphas pleased with him or die trying. Final death, his entire being wiped from existence, was a more favorable outcome than going back there._

 _He looked again, couldn't help himself, and met the Elder's swirling crimson eyes. Malphas raised a hand and waved him over. Edwin didn't look back and shook off the hands easily as he didn't take his eyes from his Elder._

 _'He's mine. My Elder, my leader.'_

 _"I see that we have discovered which sin appeals to you most." Malphas chuckled low in his throat._

 _"Elder?"_

 _"Greed. You long to possess. Things, people, it makes no difference to you. Once you focus on something, you'll do anything to have it, to keep it for yourself."_

 _Edwin looked down, thinking about what he had said. "I believe you are correct, Elder."_

 _"Always so proper." He reached down and pulled the girl's head up. "Leave us for a moment, Precious."_

 _She pouted but the Elder didn't give in. The girl stood slowly and Edwin took stock of the clothing that still covered her skin. The pretty dark blue of her dress that matched her eyes was heavy, expensive fabric. He remembered the bells woven through her hair, a ward against evil spirits. Something traditionally worn by brides. This must have been the wedding party to welcome their new little princess. She looked over to the nearest orgy but Malphas clucked his tongue at her._

 _"I don't think so, Precious. That's mine."_

 _"But it hurts." She stomped her foot and the Elder laughed at her antics._

 _"I know. A most delicious pain and I will take care of it, but you must be patient."_

 _"I don't want to be patient."_

 _Malphas laughed again. "Such a spoiled little princess." The smile fell from his face and the girl flinched back. "You'll be patient or I'll leave you to your new husband."_

 _She looked over her shoulder to the door leading farther into the castle. A pout still on her pretty face, she sunk to her knees and folded her hands in her lap._

 _"Good, Precious." Malphas turned back to Edwin. "There is something bothering you."_

 _It wasn't a question but Edwin still didn't know how to answer. He didn't know what he wanted, didn't know how to put it into words. The Elder's smirk told him he didn't need to._

 _"Edwin, you're still thinking like a human. We'll have to work on that." He leaned his head on his fist. "I don't require such things from you."_

 _"Then what...?"_

 _"Ah, I see. You are not sure what I do want from you."_

 _He nodded, distracted._

 _"I want you to learn. I want my house to be the strongest, most enduring. For that I need the right members. Can you do that Edwin?"_

 _He thought of his fighting in the pit. He was the strongest demon. He was the strongest human when he had lived._

 _"Not that kind of strength, Edwin. You've already proven that. I want to know if you can walk the endless flow of time. If you can move amongst the humans and others of our own world with the weight of forever on your shoulders and still stand tall. If you can keep your sanity in the face of loneliness, of endless change, of eternity itself."_

 _Edwin felt his knees go out from under him. The position of obedience, of supplication was not something he was familiar with. As a human he would never had bowed to another, even his king. The strongest didn't bow. But he wasn't that strongest anymore. The realization shot fear through him, but also a strange peace. Malphas was watching him, that same smile on his face and he bowed his head to the floor._

 _He had never respected anyone enough to bow to them, but this man, this demon, would teach him what he needed to be useful, to survive. He would care for him, when Edwin couldn't do it himself. He would protect him, when Edwin couldn't do it himself. A leader worthy of following. Something he had searched for when human and the knowledge made him want to weep. He looked up again to find Malphas watching him with a smirk._

 _"But, since you're here."_

 _When he pulled away, Malphas slid his hand along Edwin's jaw, catching the drop that had fallen from the corner of his mouth. Edwin caught the thumb, sucking the digit clean while the Elder smiled at him._

 _"Go. Feed until you can hold no more. It will be a long time before we walk the world of man again and I need you strong."_

 _Edwin bowed his head to the floor again and stood. He felt the Elder's eyes follow him as he went back to the humans he had left. They welcomed the demon back with open arms and...other things. He pulled the next to him with a renewed sense of purpose. Losing himself in the tangle of warm, scented limbs he didn't notice the presence coming toward them._

 _The humans moved out of the Elder's way with a mere wave. Edwin started to turn but was stopped by the hand on his shoulder._

 _"You cannot possess me, Edwin. But, I will own you." Malphas whispered in his ear._

Edwin came back on the thought that the leader he had found didn't want him anymore. The bone chilling sadness quickly gave way to anger and he yanked the girl to her feet by her hair. There was nothing nice in how he took her to the floor. She had taken it away from him, taken everything in a bid to possess something that she wasn't worthy of. He turned her on her stomach so she wouldn't see his eyes that he couldn't hide anymore or the teeth he bared.

It appeared she enjoyed this more.

As her soul cracked wide he slipped in to find the center of her greed, the well of sin that would feed him and provide the trigger he needed to keep her away from Serena. What he found almost made him lose his focus. The abyss in Nadine was deep, endless, something he had never seen in another human.

 _'The endless pool you try to fill will become a gaping maw upon your death...when you become one of us. Did you honestly think that Serena could save you? She's not for you, not your salvation. I hope, for you, that the Elder doesn't invite you to his house. He'd keep you alive...just barely, forever. However, I will not keep the information from him.'_

Another shudder wracked her body and he ripped into her mind. It wasn't hard to spring the traps on her fears and lay Serena's face at the tip of each one. She might even resist all red heads after this. He almost wished that he could see her the first time Nadine encountered Serena after tonight. Edwin was certain that her face would be priceless.

Unfortunately, it would be for another to witness. His time in Connecticut was done.

His work finished, the demon stood without a thought to Nadine except to sneer at her quaking body on the floor. Without a word, he left her.

The club patrons knew to stay away and parted easily so he could pass without touching any of them.

*****************The Tale of Edwin*****************

Edwin walked back into the cottage and saw Lucien and Ciel sitting in the living room. For whatever reason, Lucien had the fireplace going and Ciel laid in his feline form in front of the flames. He shook off his partner's concern as he slipped into the bathroom and started the shower. They would know that he had fed, but not who. They wouldn't know what he had found. He'd tell them later.

After he finished, Edwin redressed and left the humid room. Lucien and Ciel were still in the living room waiting. He waved the blonde off as he went in to check on Serena. The red head was fast asleep. In the moonlight, he could see the tear tracks that still marked her face. He pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket and cleaned her cheeks.

It was his own fault. He had forgotten the importance of a pure soul, Elder's mate or not. He had looked at protecting Serena like another human and forgotten she possessed such a rare soul as well. They lived to help those trapped in the dark. She had no defense against Nadine but himself and Lucien. They had failed to protect her from someone that wanted to steal that light to save themselves.

A shield that broke when brought to bear.

He knelt down next to the bed and watched the girl sleep. The little princess came to his mind again followed by Ciel. He remembered the Elder's other contracts that he had met. Most had possessed that spoiled, childish personality. A laugh started in his chest and made it's way out of his mouth.

 _'It appears the Elder has gotten exactly his taste.'_


	51. Hell Welcomes You Preview

Author's Note: I plan to take a little time off in the new year to work on this after Frozen Dance is up and running. Hopefully, by the first. It is better for having sat on my desk so long though.

I'm sorry Fanfic keeps eating my page breaks. Again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters.

Hell Welcomes You Preview

Doubt. A truly ugly emotion that went hand in hand with jealousy. Both ate away at a person until there was nothing left. Until everything you may have liked or loved about yourself was long gone and the cold acid of fear was all you knew.

Serena shivered as she tasted that bitter bile again and tried to force back. The room she lived in constantly was beautiful. Every aspect of it built to her own view of perfection. Her mate hadn't really seemed to care about the furnishings. Their suite took up the entire top floor of the tower. Rounded, it had a distinct architectual style.

She'd had a lot of time to notice the interesting things around her cage. Most of the room was walled in windows that stared down at the territory her demon had claimed long before anyone with the last name Walton had existed. The floor below contained her studio, as well as a large library. Both were at her disposal. She hadn't stepped a foot inside it in days. There was no image in her mind to be committed to paper or canvas. No colors vied for attention and demanded to be set down.

There was only the gnawing doubt in her gut, eating away at her.

 _'He always said that he wouldn't share me, but he is. He can't lie to me. He likes Ciel being here as well. But, why? Why is it now so easy? Is it because Ciel is a demon too. Because he'll be an Elder someday as well? Is he forming some kind of sick alliance through sharing his mate with another powerful demon? Haagenti said that he was storing power so that we would have more time together. Why is he always gone then? Meeting after meeting. And he takes Corrine.'_

Jealousy reared fast and hard. Her nails cut into her arms as she curled around herself, huddled into herself, trying to push the anger and pain away.

 _'Why? Why does he take her with him? If there really is some all-important Elder meeting, why doesn't he take Ciel? I know he said that Ciel is my guard, but surely he's a better choice for business than Corrine. Why does he always leave me here alone?'_

* * *

 _'Lost. Why am I always lost? I can't be lost, everyone looks to me to know what I'm doing, what we're doing, where we're going. And yet, I'm always alone.'_ Aelius walked the darkened streets of London, steering clear of the streetlights and people that roamed the business districts. People watched him as he passed but most looked away as he met their eyes. He didn't fear the dark, nor those who dwelt in it.

 _'But they fear me. They know I'm not one of them. They know their frail, human bodies cannot harm me.'_ He cringed as the thought registered through the haze of his mind. _'No, I am human. At least somewhat. Human blood runs in my veins. I will not harm them just because I can. I'm not like him.'_

A part of him wanted to plead to those that shivered when he passed. He was one of them. No matter how many centuries he lived, no matter how physically strong he was. _'My heart is human...and it aches.'_

* * *

There was a girl sitting in Lucifer's throne. Girl being the word. She should have been gossiping at the mall over the car her parents were going to buy her for her birthday, not surrounded by demons and Fallen. Honey blonde hair fell over her shoulder in loose waves and shined against the violet gown she wore.

Lucifer leaned against the side speaking to the girl in his throne. But there was another silver head that caught her attention. She finally let go of Malphas' hand as a smile spread over her face.

"Undertaker?"

* * *

Lizzy stared at the piece of parchment in her hands. Her fingers drifted over her name again, written in Ciel's elegant script. She had seen it several times, but never on a letter meant for her. It was the first thing he had written for her specifically and she was only to receive it after his death.

She admitted that there was a part of her that wanted to rip the letter to pieces. Violence seemed to be her regular response to anything that had to do with Ciel after he left her a widow the night before her wedding. She turned the paper over and saw the wax seal, the Phantomhive coat of arms. It would disappear now. Just another failed family.

Choosing quickly, she broke the seal.

 _'Lizzy, I'm sure that you are quite angry with me right at this moment. Perhaps you're looking for someone to blame. There is no one but myself. I've spent hours writing this letter, most attempts ended up on the fire, but I know that there will be one that makes it to the solicitor's possession._

 _I also know you've always wanted me to talk to you, but I couldn't. I couldn't tell you what really happens in my life, in my mind. I never wanted you to have to know. I can admit now that it is cowerdice. For some reason, as I wait for our wedding, I find the urge to tell you everything. Just not face to face._

 _This is the truth. My truth. A part of me is still screaming to burn this. To leave this to the past, but my past is never far away. I only ask that you read it in its entirety if you decide to. You cannot stop in the middle. You cannot decide that I've lost my mind and this is all nonsense and you won't read another word of it. If you can't, burn it right now. I admit it sounds insane but I have nothing to hide now. Every word of it is true. I leave it to you if you wish to share it with your family. I have a feeling that Aunt Frances won't be that surprised._

 _Have you made your decision Lizzy?'_

* * *

Undertaker walked easily down the front steps of the local police station. He knew that they were looking, but there was nothing to find. Serena's family should have given up by now, it'd been almost a year for them. The door behind him burst open and the reaper sighed as he heard a voice.

"Wait, please."

Samuel Walton stopped in front of the strange man, unsure of what to say.

"Major, go home."

"What?"

"Go home. There is nothing for you to find here."

"I won't abandon my daughter."

"But you'll abandon the rest of your family?"

He stopped.

Undertaker looked over the street. "With all due respect, I've been in this business a long time. It's been months since Serena disappeared. There are no leads, not even a whisper of a clue to go forward on. You're grasping at anything you get a hold of. If you haven't found anything by now, you're not going to."

He started to walk away.

"You love her."

Undertaker turned slightly and nodded. "But, it doesn't matter. She still choose someone else."


End file.
